Echoes of the Eternal Recurrence
by Flamegaruru
Summary: [VP Challenge Fic] The journey of one young woman to put the puzzle of her heart together finds her life closely intertwined with those who haunt her dreams.
1. Lost Memories

Echoes of the Eternal Recurrence

By: Mena

"Lost Memories"

Written for 100-Series' Valkyrie Profile Challenge Themes Contest --Theme Number 7: Lost Memories of a Former Life

Summary: 20 years after the victory over Lezard Valeth, the spirits that combined Valkyrie have been reborn. The stability of Asgard and Midgard continues. However, there is one soul who is haunted by visions of a former life…

Note: Contains the following: Mild language; mild violence; mild themes; Alicia/Rufus; some ambiguous Alicia/Silmeria; Lucian/Lenneth; Lezard/Lenneth

Author's Note: Yes, it has been a long while since I have written anything worthy. Help me make a story worthy for all of you! Please support me with your constructive criticism and reviews! Thank you! I also apologize for any OOC Alicia-ness. I figured since she was reincarnated, she was entitled to being a strong individual.

Disclaimer: I do not own Valkyrie Profile or any related characters.

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"_I'll be there by your side_

_In your dream, I will go_

_Till we find the sunrise_

_I will be there till the dawn of eternity_

_I'm searching for you"_

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___Dreams are a funny thing. It is believed that they are the key to unlocking the mysteries of our souls. Feelings, thoughts, even memories are seamlessly woven together into an intricate painting of your soul. The dreams leave an imprint on our hearts that will never leave us throughout eternity._

___I want to believe that._

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The village of Coriander was never a sprawling town. Hidden in a little nook off the beaten path it blended in with the surrounding wildlife and nature, offering a peaceful respite to some, a prison of simplicity to others. Yet when night came and the moon shone down on the town everyone had to agree that its beauty was unrivaled, especially with the surrounding mountains and the occasional lily that wafted down to skim the tops of the ponds. At least that was what the cloaked young woman thought as she stared into the moon.

"Alicia."

The woman turned at the sound of her name, the voice piercing through the darkness. "Oh, I didn't think anyone else was up now. I'm sorry if I disturbed you," she added as the man who called out to her approached.

Reaching down to the pond the young man snatched the petal up. "No, I usually keep these types of hours. It is easier to work on my alchemy at night when there aren't noisy brats running around."

Alicia smirked and bumped her shoulders against his, their hoods falling down from the impact. "Don't be stupid; Coriander hasn't had any children since we were young, unless that was a shot to my overall demeanor."

"Ha ha, no, I could never insult one as fair as you," the man sniggered as his long bangs bounced up and down as he laughed.

"You're so funny, Lezard."

"I do my best," Lezard said as he squinted at the light that shone off of Alicia's hair in the moonlight. "I haven't seen you for awhile, so I must do my best to entertain my closest friend when I do see her, even if by chance."

Alicia felt her face flush at the compliment. She shivered as a gust of wind wound its way through her hair. "As much as I hate to admit it, it seems as if winter is coming."

"Hmm…"

Glancing over to Lezard, Alicia noticed that the petal he had scooped from the pond had been cradled in his hand and that Lezard was absent-mindedly stroking it with a far-off look in his eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh," Lezard exclaimed upon his return to reality. "I'm sorry. I was actually thinking about you." Upon Alicia's quizzical look, Lezard continued. "I was getting up to fetch some ingredients for my latest potion when I saw you out the window." He placed a hand upon her shoulder. "I've noticed that you've been coming out here for many nights now."

Alicia sighed. "Haven't been able to sleep."

"Really." Lezard paused. "A problem you've had for 14 years?"

Gritting her teeth, Alicia turned away from him. "So you've been watching me at night?"

Lezard put his hands up in a defensive gesture. "No, no, merely observations. Is it wrong for one to worry about someone they care about?"

"I guess not," Alicia admitted, turning to face him once more.

The pair stood in silence once again as the moon began to wane.

"I've been having these dreams," Alicia explained. "One night when I was six I was heading home when I thought I heard someone whisper my name. I became dizzy and then I saw these images—places, but mostly people. At first it was just one person…someone I felt like I could never escape from."

Lezard furrowed his brows. "Did this person frighten you?"

Shaking her head, Alicia replied, "When I first saw her I was afraid. She kept showing up with increasing intensity and I tried to run away from her but she was always there. I was running through the halls of a castle when I ran into her and suddenly I wasn't scared anymore. It was…" Alicia scrunched her nose up in an effort to describe the sensation.

"…like looking into a mirror of your heart," Lezard supplied. Alicia's brows shot up in surprise at his statement. Chuckling softly, Lezard scratched the back of his head. "I have a way with words, I guess."

Alicia looked skeptical but continued. "The next thing I knew I woke up lying on the ground. Ever since then my dreams have been full of memories of this woman and her companions."

"Isn't that when you started learning how to fight?" Lezard put a finger to his forehead.

"Yes," Alicia affirmed, then frowned. "Didn't you take up magic around that same time?"

Lezard smiled and gave a vague wave of his hand. "You know, Alicia, it sounds to me that these are more than just images. It's like they're some sort of lost memories of a former life, or something."

Alicia gave a snort of disbelief. "Sure, Lezard. What's next? Odin comes barreling out of Asgard and hands me Gungnir?"

"You shouldn't dismiss things so easily," he chided as he offered her his arm.

"Where are we going?" Alicia asked as she acquiesced to his gesture.

Lezard put a finger to his lips and beckoned her forward.

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Alicia didn't know quite what to make of Lezard's home. There were hardly any lights and what few there were had a dim glow about them as if they were struggling to exist in the pools of darkness that surrounded them. Various potions and other concoctions bubbled in nearly every corner and Alicia had to be careful not to step on top of any of Lezard's notes scattered across the room.

"Come here," Lezard called, giddy as a child.

Alicia grimaced as she felt something gooey ooze from under her boot. Okay, now this place is eerie, she thought as she approached Lezard who was hovering over a large cauldron muttering incantations under his breath. "What's going on?"

Ignoring Alicia's inquiry, Lezard reached over to a nearby table and grabbed a fistful of powder and tossed it into the cauldron. Alicia shrieked as a large explosion shook the house.

"What the Hel, Lezard!? You think getting us fried will solve the mysteries of the past," she demanded.

Lezard grabbed Alicia's hands as she started to back away. "Do you want to know about your dreams or not?" he vehemently replied.

Alicia closed her eyes. Am I too scared to face myself? The woman in my dreams kept resolving herself to every situation—if she can do it, I can too! She clutched Lezard's hands for support. "Yes, Lezard. Tell me what to do."

Nodding, Lezard placed Alicia's hands on the edge of the cauldron. "I need you to think very hard about what you want. You need to visualize the person in your dreams in your mind very clearly. Think about how you feel in your dreams. You must emulate these thoughts and feelings exactly if the magick is to work."

Peering into the swirling mass inside the cauldron Alicia took a deep breath and concentrated on a particular memory that had been recurring recently.

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___"__I—can't—breathe—wait—" an incredibly tall man wheezed as he collapsed against a nearby tree; at least it resembled a tree. The background seemed to be obscured with only a dimly flashing orange light._

_____A woman with raven hair and deep purple armor strode past him. "If you spent more time on your training than your tongue you wouldn't be gasping like a fish out of water," she quipped._

___"__Not all of us are as divine as you," he snapped back, his long green hair whipping around his face._

_____The warrior smirked. "That is true," she snidely replied._

___"__You are kinda pathetic," a burly man carrying a glowing orb added. He plopped down on the ground. "But you are right. It's quiet here. We should prepare ourselves before moving on."_

___"__Agreed," said another woman, appearing next to the green-haired man, clad in blue armor. "We don't know what he is planning. It is best to recuperate and strategize rather than rush headlong into a trap."_

_____The other woman harrumphed and leaned against another tree-like structure. The fire-red glow of the area seemed to burn brighter with each passing moment. "You are too soft, Lenneth."_

_____Lenneth, the woman in blue armor, tilted her head slightly. "I'm merely thinking logically, Hrist. We would be at a clear disadvantage if we took him on without recovery; our chances of failure would increase ten-fold."_

_____Hrist grunted her assent. "I suppose a little rest couldn't hurt those of, softer spines."_

___"__Hey!" The green-haired man cried indignantly as he stomped up next to Hrist. "Are you saying you don't care if ------ is tired?!"_

_____Hrist glanced straight ahead, staring at someone unseen. "I was only joking. In case you've forgotten, I am a Battle Maiden and I know full well the severity of our situation," she flipped her hair, flashing a cocky grin at him. "Please, Rufus, is alleviating the tension an unwelcome act upon my part?"_

_____The burly man guffawed loudly at Rufus' obvious annoyance. "Man, you can't say anything right, can you?"_

___"__You keep outta this, Arngrim!" Rufus jabbed a finger at Arngrim. _

___"__What we need to be doing is calming down," a deep voice resounded. The towering figure from which the voice emanated walked up next to Rufus. Hrist's right eye twitched._

___"__Adrenaline is good for the body," she remarked. "Besides, everyone has their own way of calming down, Brahms."_

_____Brahms merely flung a sneer at Hrist, a gesture which was immediately reciprocated._

_____Lenneth turned slightly to the left. "What think you, --------?"_

_____Just to the right a dim outline of a woman appeared. Her golden hair shone even brighter in the fiery area, its light bouncing off her gentle curls. _

___…_

___…_

___…_

_____The group nodded at whatever the woman said and each went to their own little place of sanctuary. The woman looked to her left. _

_____Resignation._

_____Sadness._

_____Hope._

_____Fear._

_______Love._

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"Alicia! Look!"

Upon hearing Lezard's cries, Alicia opened her eyes to reality. She gasped upon seeing a shape inside the cauldron. It was the woman from her dreams—the woman without a face, a name, even a voice. "It's her," she breathed.

Lezard glanced at Alicia. "She looks a lot like you," he quietly said.

Alicia gripped the cauldron tighter as the woman's shape twisted into a better-defined outline.

"It must be her reincarnation," Lezard supplied.

Alicia leaned further over the cauldron committing every detail about the woman to memory. "How do I find her—oh!" She gasped in surprise as the woman was replaced with the image of Rufus strolling about in a dark forest.

"This is amazing!" Lezard exclaimed shifting through reams of papers next to the cauldron. "'…if another shaype appears after the image that thou seeketh, it is thine catalyst.' Alicia—this man must be the key to discovering the true meaning of your dreams."

"You're saying that all my questions will be answered once I find R—er—him?" she pointed to the shimmering image of Rufus.

"Yes—this is so exciting, I never thought that I would amass such power so soon," Lezard uttered as he impulsively gripped the cauldron. "What the!?" As he grasped the cauldron another explosion rocked the house and threw Alicia off her feet.

Alicia propelled herself off the ground. "Lezard are you—" she stopped short as she glanced into the cauldron. There was Lenneth in the heat of a battle, her platinum hair twirling about. The image of Lenneth dissolved into another similar figure that appeared to be picking apples. "Lezard—"

He stood mesmerized by the woman in the cauldron. "Yes, Alicia, I am like you too. I am plagued by strange dreams also—of this woman. That is part of the reason I started magic," he said, his eyes still glued on Lenneth. "To learn how to return one's memory from another life. The answer is somewhere, I just know it—and—"one of his hands seized a lump in his cloak.

"Lezard!" Alicia placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you think the past should stay in the past?"

"But…" Lezard's bangs hung low over his eyes as he hung his head. When he lifted his eyes to her again, Alicia couldn't help but feel nauseated at the mad glint that shone in them. Her hand fell to her side.

"I would do anything to make her love me."

"If she loved you in the past, surely that wouldn't change now," Alicia suggested.

Lezard gazed intently at Alicia for several moments. "Are you going to go find your catalyst?"

"Y-yes," Alicia replied, taken aback by his sudden shift in mood. "My parents are both dead—there is no longer any reason for me to stay here, except to call it home. I feel as if I've waited a long time for one…"she drifted off.

"Your home is not always a material thing," Lezard kindly said. Alicia gratefully nodded. "I will accompany you as well—it is time we took control of our own destinies."

"Yes!"

With that the two clasped hands as the faint light of day broke through the grimy windows of Lezard's home.


	2. Ripples of Time

Echoes of the Eternal Recurrence

By: Mena

"Ripples of Time"

Who's up for some boring background info followed up by yet another slow chapter???

Alicia is 20 years old and Lezard is 25.

Apologies for OOC guest character.

Disclaimer: I do not own Valkyrie Profile or any related characters.

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_Everyone has a dream._

_Anyone who tells you otherwise isn't being true to themselves._

_It's just how far you're willing to go to make that dream come true._

_That's the funny thing about chasing dreams—no one can do it on their own._

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"Goodness, Lezard, you took forever." Alicia gently chided as she tapped her foot. Lezard gave her a small smile as he trudged up to her, his bulging pockets clinking as he did so.

"Be careful," Alicia said as she extended a helping hand.

Lezard took the outstretched hand and heaved himself up to the top of the hill. The calm breeze danced merrily through his and Alicia's hair, sending his cape twirling around his ankles. "Why did you choose this spot to meet up? I'm not really made for traversing the land as you are."

Alicia sneered. "If you're calling me fat, then just say so." Her face evaporated into a brilliant smile. "I thought that this last view of Coriander would be to your liking. "Look," she gestured across the land underneath them, "you can see the field of lilies from here."

Nodding, Lezard stared wistfully at the vast expanse stretched before them. "I am ready to leave, but if you'd like a few more moments to yourself before commencing, please do so." With that he excused himself and started down the hill on the road to Villnore.

Alicia glanced at the lily fields once more before resting her eyes on Coriander. _The place where I grew up—it holds so many memories for me…_

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_Being only six years old, Alicia wasn't exactly the super-power of the Coriander playground, but ever since she started having these strange dreams of people she had never met before, it seemed that she was becoming even more meager than before. The likely cause of this was that these dreams often frightened her in some indefinable way; the woman constantly around her made her feel as if she was being consumed by her presence._

"_Haw, haw, lookit the little princess Alicia! No wonder she was banished from the kingdom! She's so weak!"_

"_Yeah, look at her, she can hardly stay awake!"_

_The two little ruffians kicked dust at Alicia and shoved her roughly between them. She used to have a couple of friends, but they were older than she, in school now. Alicia didn't wish to impose on them with her problems. Ever since a traveling salesman entered town and told them about the lost princess of Dipan, these two boys had taken it upon themselves to harass Alicia at every turn. If only she could be…strong…_

"_If you little snots don't quit picking on her, I'll make sure that your lives are an eternal nightmare."_

_The taller boy backed off from Alicia immediately as the other followed suit. "Hey, mister, you just stay out of this!"_

_A large man decked out in blue armor advanced to stand in front of Alicia and hovered menacingly over the boys. As they stared up and glued their eyes on the large scar that covered his face, the man cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Maybe you'd better try that again."_

"_Uh," the two boys looked at each other and peeled off to their homes._

_Alicia stared wide-eyed at the huge man before her. As he turned to her, she shrunk back a little. "Um, thank you, sir, but, uh…"_

_The man gave her a wry smile. "Arngrim. Yours?"_

"_Oh!" Alicia flushed as Arngrim reached a hand down to her. As she took it, he lifted her into the air, twirling her around, causing her to giggle convulsively. "Alicia! My name is Alicia!"_

"_That's what I thought," he gruffly replied as he set her down._

_Alicia blinked quizzically up at him. "What do you mean?"_

"_Uh." The man scratched the back of his head. "You just, er, look like someone I knew."_

"_Did you like her?"_

_Arngrim laughed loudly as Alicia put her hands over her ears. "She was a good friend of mine, that's for sure. Real strong-willed, had a lot of potential in her." He gave Alicia the once over. "You seem as if you have the same look about you as well."_

_Alicia hunched over slightly. "No, I'm not. Those boys do that to me all the time."_

_Crossing his shoulders, Arngrim fixed Alicia with a scowl. "That's because you don't have the determination."_

_Responding to Alicia's confused look, Arngrim went on. "You seem like you could be picked on because something is eating away at you on the inside. What's up?" With that he beckoned Alicia to follow him as he went and leaned against a nearby tree._

_Plopping herself down right next to him, Alicia curled her lips in frustration. "I'm having these strange dreams—I haven't really told anyone about them yet."_

"_Why's that?"_

"_Because they scare me. Sometimes these dreams overtake me when I'm awake and I pass out. It's just because—"_

"_Don't even say that!" Arngrim cut in. "You're only weak if you don't have the confidence in yourself! Now, finish telling me about your dreams, and then we'll solve them."_

_Alicia nodded and continued on with a sense of vigor. "In these dreams I see people I don't know and they're always fighting scary monsters. And there's always some sort of hidden sadness locked away in their hearts…"she trailed off._

_Arngrim stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So what is it you're really afraid of? The monsters?"_

"_The sadness." Alicia replied._

_Arngrim gave her a strange look. "You're afraid of fear, then? Haw!" He chuckled. "That's very grown-up of you."_

_Alicia frowned. "I don't get sleep, so I'm tired all the time."_

_Arngrim shrugged his shoulders. "It's because you're scared of your dreams. Don't be."_

_Jumping up, Alicia cried "No way! It's not that simple!"_

"_Isn't there anything but sadness in your dreams?"_

_Blushing, Alicia sat down. Arngrim waited for her to elaborate but she didn't. He crossed his arms. _

_Clearing her throat, Alicia looked at Arngrim. "There's a sort of determination from this one woman. She's so confident and sure of herself—I think she can do anything!" As the light spread in her eyes, Arngrim hefted himself up and dug around the tree to produce two sturdy sticks._

"_Here," he tossed one to Alicia who fumbled with it for a moment. "You can do it, too." He readied his make-shift sword. "Aspire to be strong like that and you will be."_

_Alicia took up the challenge with such intensity Arngrim had to step back. "See!? Don't be afraid of things that will never be! Have a dream!"_

_After sending a few blows to Arngrim's stick, Alicia's hands started to sting, but she pressed on. "I will! I'll get stronger and stronger in my heart and body—that's my goal. What's your dream, Arngrim?"_

_Arngrim raised an eyebrow. "You're certainly a precocious one." He side-stepped one of Alicia's thrusts. "I guess it would be ensure a peaceful world on Midgard. What's yours?"_

_Alicia frowned as Arngrim parried another one of her attacks. "I don't know yet. For now I'll settle for getting stronger!" With that, Alicia brought her right hand far back and aimed for the top of Arngrim's stick. Her hit struck home and the stick broke._

"_Wow!" Arngrim exclaimed as the pieces fell to the ground. "You could decapitate monsters with that move," he placed a hand on Alicia's shoulder. "You must be a natural."_

_A beautiful smile wound it's way across Alicia's face. Her chest heaving, Alicia finally became aware of the pain in her hands. "Ow! I'm bleeding!" Arngrim chortled at Alicia's aghast look._

"_Alicia, are you alright!?"_

_Alicia turned to see a slim bespectacled boy shuffling toward her, clutching a gigantic book against his chest. "Lezard! Yes, my hands just hurt a little, that's all."_

_Lezard grasped Alicia's hands in his, inspecting them before he turned around and stood in front of her. "What do you want, sir?"_

_Arngrim wore a dark expression on his face. "Doing my part for humanity. Well, see ya," he waved his hand as he departed._

_Alicia shook off Lezard's restraining grip and ran to clutch Arngrim's arm. "Wait," she breathed. "Thank you so much. Will I see you again?"_

_Turning to face Alicia, Arngrim crouched down so that they were eye-level. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be there every time you strike an enemy."_

_Alicia smiled as Arngrim let go of her and left the town of Coriander. Lezard trotted over to her. "Everything okay?"_

"_Yes. Do you have anything to put on my hands?"_

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Alicia smirked as she remembered her first guide on her journey. "Arngrim, I'm stronger now. I'm finally strong enough to pursue my dreams. Pray to Odin for me," she bowed and turned to join Lezard at the bottom of the hill.

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Lezard smiled as Alicia leapt the last few feet to land beside him. "Bravo! Form: excellent. Style: moderate. I give it an eight."

Alicia frowned and shoved Lezard. "That was at least a nine, you dirty liar. Now, let's go—Villnore awaits us!" Alicia heroically thrust her fist forward.

Lezard cleared his throat. "Well, we're not exactly going so far together." Upon Alicia's intimidating advancement, he amended his statement. "What I mean is, we'll be splitting up in a little while."

"Fess up—you don't want us to be mistaken for a couple anymore."

"Of course not, I just did some more research into our visions." Lezard pushed his glasses up.

"That's why you're late," Alicia huffed. "I foolishly thought you were preparing us for the road ahead."

"Well, your catalyst was roaming in a forest, correct? I took the liberty of finding out some information about the most common forests," he took a large sheaf of papers out from his robes and handed them to Alicia.

"Oof—just_some_ information, huh?"

Lezard smiled in a placating way. "I have a round-about way of expressing my affection."

"So what are we going to do now? Shake hands and depart ways, meeting in Valhall-aaaaah!" Alicia yelped as Lezard shouted an incantation and set the monster bird swooping toward Alicia into flames.

"As you can see, I can certainly hold my own in a fight," Lezard brushed specks of ash off his gloves. Alicia glowered at him under a similar blanket of ash.

Shaking the pesky substance off of herself, Alicia hastily stuffed Lezard's leaflets into her traveling pack. "Are you going to keep skirting the question or are you going to be a man and answer?"

"I give up—I was hoping to go check out the smaller, off-the-map towns; specifically ones with high apple tree exports."

Alicia flashed a mischievous grin. "What about her present?" At Lezard's dubious look, Alicia threw her hands up into the air. "You think you're just going to waltz up to this girl and spill that you've been seeing her in your dreams? How unlikely is it that she won't share these dreams and think badly of you?" Jabbing a finger into his chest, Alicia growled. "You've got to think things through a little!"

Lezard coughed and rubbed his chest. "I am not so suave with the ladies."

"You're a pretty smooth talker when you want to be."

"You're different."

"So I'm not girl enough."

"When did you turn into the mystery girl?"

"Never mind," Alicia's shoulders slumped. "I think you should pick her up something—something from your dreams that she shared with you."

Lezard frowned. "I do not recall the exchange of trinkets or such…"

"Think harder," Alicia pressed.

Lezard turned to the lilies. "Maybe flowers?"

"Perhaps," Alicia replied, skeptical of Lezard's wooing skills.

"What about you? What will you get for your two figures?"

Alicia put both hands to her face in an effort to cool it down. "Well, uhm, ah, I don't really remember too much, either. I think there was something to do with hands…"

Lezard sniggered. "Try not to say such scandalous things. You're teetering on the edge of indecency."

Alicia shoved Lezard roughly once more, sending the contents of Lezard's cloak into a clinking frenzy. "Oops, sorry—I hope I didn't break anything."

"I do not think so," Lezard shot a dirty glance at her. "Well, we'll both figure things out on our own journeys. "

Alicia squared her shoulders. "Thank you Lezard—your friendship and support means a great deal to me. I do not know how I can ever repay you."

Lezard smiled gently. "You already have. You have inspired and supported me as well. I am proud to have you as my greatest friend."

Alicia returned the kind smile and embraced her dear friend. As they broke apart, Alicia was disconcerted to see Lezard wiping away at his eyes. "We'll see each other again, alright? You'll be part of my search—I can't wait to hear of your success!"

"Likewise," Lezard beamed. "Now, for my final present," he said and spread his hands out.

"What the Hel!?" Alicia swore as glowing runes surrounded her on all sides.

"It's a teleportation spell," Lezard flipped his head to the side to clear away his bangs. "I'll see you soon!"

"Lezard!" Alicia bellowed as she was swallowed up by an immense light only to vanish into thin air seconds later.

Lezard nodded to himself and proceeded to take the southwestern route.

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Alicia groaned as she cracked open her left eye. Not only did tell-apart…no,_teleport_…magic make her want to spiff her breakfast biscuits, the end-all was certainly not ceremonious either, to say the least. _Where aren't I sore? Ow...ow...ow..._ Alicia snarled as she shakily stood up.

Glancing around her, Alicia scanned the area. The forest Lezard had teleported her to was, of course, unfamiliar in every sense. The entire area had a murky purplish hue around it and Alicia was disconcerted to find a similar purple mist milling about down near her ankles.

"Hrm…which one of these forests has a purple mist around it," Alicia mumbled as she started to sift through the papers Lezard had given her.

"Hey!" A voice called out from behind Alicia. She twirled around and unsheathed her sword sending her papers floating to the ground.

"Don't you know it's dangerous to go into the wilderness alone?" The figure scolded.

Alicia squinted and brought her hand up to shield her eyes from the brilliant light of the sun behind the figure that posed near the forest entrance. "Only if you're not prepared! What about you?"

"Bah! I'm much stronger than the creatures that inhabit this are," the figure scoffed, flipping her hair. Alicia recoiled from the brilliant golden light that shone off the woman's hair.

"And I'm not?" Alicia retorted, straightening up as the woman approached.

"Looking through papers gets you nowhere in the battlefield," the woman bluntly replied as she strode up to Alicia.

Alicia gasped loudly and nearly lost the grip on her sword. The woman before her, clad in light purple armor complete with a maidenly undergarment, frowned at her and waved her hand dismissively. "What's the matter with you? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

Alicia gulped apprehensively as the woman's sea-blue gaze pierced her own._It's her…the woman from my dreams…_

The woman's face instantly transformed from self-assurance to concern as Alicia lost consciousness and dropped to the ground.


	3. Pieces of the Heart

Echoes of the Eternal Recurrence

By: Mena

"Pieces of the Heart"

Sorry for the chapter full of suck. I got a new idea for the story (big thanks to 100-series for that), and this phase was just so hard to get started on. Hopefully things will become better as the story progresses.

Notes: Platina is 25. The intros are thoughts of Alicia about whatever she likes to think about that relate to the chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Valkyrie Profile or related characters.

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_People often talk about how their hearts get broken._

_What they don't talk about is how the pieces get put back into place._

_Sometimes the greatest blessing put onto a person is that of suffering._

_Life means so much more when you realize how precious things are._

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A dry wind swept through the path that Lezard walked sending the leaves scattered on the ground to dance merrily around. Lezard felt a sense of nostalgia as the leaves crunched under his boots. _Hardly a day has gone by and already I am assaulted with thoughts of Coriander._ Looking around for signs of enemies and finding none, Lezard allowed himself a small rest to replenish his stores of magic.

"I wonder where Alicia went," he thought aloud as he sat down on fallen log.

Lezard didn't like to admit he was worried about Alicia since he knew she could handle herself, but it was embarrassing all the same to feel the selfish tugs of worry that annoyed his heart. It was the first time he had attempted the _Concordia Animo _spell—an advanced teleportation spell that transported the subject to the place they desired the most to be. It had taken a lot of energy and he had spent most of the day recuperating. He was surprised that he had recovered so rapidly.

_**Do you underestimate my power?**_

Lezard jolted at the sound of the voice and the sudden burning sensation emanating from the Philosopher's Stone. He clutched at his head, knowing that it would be useless if he flung away the Stone. His lips curled into a distasteful sneer. "_I am the most powerful of all. Nothing shall stand in my way._"

A lupine monster charged out from underneath a bed of shrubbery, followed closely by a dozen of its comrades. Together they formed a circle around Lezard who was panting heavily, still clutching his head.

"_Don't you get it, you ignorant masses, I am all-power! Nothing that exists can defy me!_" Laughter burst from Lezard's lips as he raised his arms which became encased in a blanket of darkness.

The Lupes growled and flung themselves as one on top of Lezard, jaws gnashing furiously as they descended on a cloud of black mist. As they continued to dig into the mass underneath them, the lupes suddenly yelped in pain as hundreds of black spikes drove themselves into the bodies of their targets.

Standing up, Lezard flung the remains of assailants off of himself. "_Can no one but her defy me!?_" A furious ejaculation burst from his lips. Lezard grunted as fell to his knees, willing the other part of him away. Gasping, he grabbed at the Philosopher's Stone as the burning sensation died down, and thought of other things…

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"_Hey, Lezard, whatcha doin'?"_

_Lezard, now 12 years old, grinned at his best friend Alicia who jovially skipped to his side. It had been a year since Alicia had started her sword training and her progress was amazing. Lezard felt himself being outclassed even though he had been practicing the art of magic since he could read. "I'm simply attempting a new spell."_

_Alicia stood on her toes and looked over his shoulder at a log of firewood, its edges charred to a sooty color. "I thought you already knew a fire spell."_

"_There is more than one fire spell," Lezard replied, chuckling. "No, this time I am learning a spell of darkness."_

_Alicia blanched. "Darkness? Like the kind that the Undead and the ones from Nifelheim use?"_

_Lezard nodded in affirmation as he began his concentration once more when Alicia grabbed his arms. "What is it?"_

"_Why are you pushing yourself so hard?" She gestured at the dark circles under his eyes. "Please tell me you're doing this of your own volition."_

_Lezard's eyes brows plummeted to meet the tips of his eyelids. "Don't talk to me like that!" He snapped and Alicia immediately backed away from him._

"_Lezard, what's gotten into you?" She demanded._

"_I could say the same for you," came the biting reply. "I hear you whispering things when I find you asleep in the fields. 'No, don't leave me' or even 'Let me go with you.' Are you talking to some lover?" _

_Alicia shuddered at the jeering remarks. She then stood tall, full of ire. "Lezard, what's gotten into you?"_

"_Repetitive and annoying as ever I see," the sneering voice boomed even louder and was silenced by a sharp slap Alicia administered._

_Lezard's eyes were wide as he looked into Alicia's blue eyes. They seemed different—__**she**__seemed different somehow, her entire demeanor taking on a confident air. "Alicia…?"_

_At the sound of his own voice, Alicia's eyes once more took on the familiar kind gaze they always held, tranquil as the sky above them. "I know this isn't you, Lezard."_

_His eyes downcast, Lezard recalled the events that transpired a year previous. After Alicia had met Arngrim, Lezard had gone into some nearby ruins and discovered a stone that seemed to call him. As he picked it up, he had felt a strange sensation fill his body as if he was no longer himself. It was if a demon had possessed him, a wonderful, terrifying creature to him that whispered the ways of the world and allowed him to learn things and magic that he never knew existed._

"_You're right, Alicia. I must apologize for my actions. Please forgive me," he whispered and hung his head. Alicia placed her hands on his shoulders and after a few moments caressed the top of his head and left him on his own._

_Lezard felt ashamed that he had lost a grapple with his inner self. Clenching his fists, he vowed then to never allow it to harm Alicia ever again. Turning once more to the log, he bellowed "Dark Savior!"_

_What he never counted on was the demon's furtive machinations to control Lezard's desires, most especially concerning the woman with platinum hair that haunted his dreams._

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_

At the thoughts of Alicia, Lezard felt the other presence inside of him shrink away into the depths of his being. Rising to his feet, Lezard brushed off his cloak and cracked his neck.

"I will no longer be afraid of the future," he declared. "As Alicia says, it will never be, there is only the present, and at the present, _I_ am in control," he said to no one in particular. With that, he raised his hands and initiated the _Concordia Animo_ spell once more.

Landing on his rump was not the way Lezard imagined teleportation, but as he looked around him, he realized it was a rather efficient way of transportation. Standing, he took in his surroundings. Unlike a few miles out of Coriander, this area was still refusing to give up the bounties of its harvest, many green and yellow leaves remaining on the giant trees that loomed all around. Lezard noticed that there were many fruit dangling from the branches of these trees and surmised he must be in an orchard of some kind.

Wandering around, Lezard tried to get an idea of where he was when he spotted a flash of movement in front of him. Readying himself for another onslaught, Lezard leapt out from the thick groves he was entrenched in only to find a silver blade pointing directly at his throat.

"I am sorry, I meant no harm," he started and then cut off abruptly as he stared into a pair of magnificent azure eyes boring frigidly into his own. There before him stood the figure he had seen only hours before in the cauldron—a young woman about his age, dressed in simple clothes, long platinum hair coiled into one braid.

"No harm indeed," the woman's gaze sharpened, her sword never moving an inch. "I suppose you aren't here to raid the livelihood of our town or steal me away to be one of your child-bearing wenches."

Lezard grimaced at the harsh words that flowed easily out of the woman's mouth. "No, I am not, although I admit I do not know how to prove otherwise." As the woman continued to stare him down, Lezard gulped nervously. "Either you are going to kill me or not, so please choose."

The woman let out a small snort and lowered her sword. Lezard sighed, his brave façade melting quickly as the danger passed. "Your clothes do not seem like those of a raider, and you do not have the unkempt look about you either. Nor do you reek of their various excesses of pleasure."

"Thanks?" Lezard replied facetiously, to which he received no response. "Uh, I guess that did not help the situation. I am sorry; I am not very skilled at conversing with women."

"I can tell." The woman impassively replied. "You do seem rather strange—you gawk at me like most others, but it does not seem to be that you are astonished by my hair color."

Lezard felt his face flush as he realized that he was gaping at her. "Well, that is because I have seen you before in my dreams, so I am not surprised at your appearance as much as I am excited that I finally get to meet you. It was from the dreams that I wanted to know about my past life in which I knew you and began a journey to find you once more."

Eyes flashing, the woman thrust her sword at Lezard's chest. "What do you speak of? If this is some sort of come-on, it is done in poor taste."

_Argh! I told her! And after Alicia explicitly told me NOT to!_ Lezard slapped a hand to his face. "I suppose that is rather out of thin air. And rest assured, if I really were coming on to you, I could come up with a better line than that," he snapped defensively. "It seems that all I do around you is apologize."

"Only because you are so inept at social situations."

Once more Lezard groaned as he was cut by the woman's biting words. "Look, I'm not here to do anything dirty or steal from your village; I don't even know where I am. My name is Lezard and I come from the village of Coriander where I learned to be a mage. Will you please lower your sword?"

Casting him a dubious look, the woman let a small breath out. "I suppose you aren't much of a threat to me, anyway. You are just outside the village of Lacrimaen. I assume you know my name since I so graciously appear in your dreams."

Lezard pursed his lips. "No, in fact, I don't. I only dreamt about a woman who looks a lot like you."

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "My name is Platina."

Lezard bowed. "And what is it that _you_ do?"

"I take care of my village," Platina replied in a vapid tone.

"Are you incapable of emotion?" Lezard crossed his arms.

Platina continued on with a phlegmatic expression. "I am currently collecting apples for the dinner I am preparing for my mother." She gestured at the basket of apples near her feet.

"I see. That's an impressive sword you wield," Lezard pointed to the item that now rested in its scabbard.

A faint crack appeared in Platina's face, nearly imperceptible, which made Lezard wonder how he picked up on it so quickly. "It belonged to my father. He was going to give it to a boy from town, but they were killed defending me from trolls."

Lezard made a move as if to comfort her, but was waved away. "It was over 10 years ago, and I no longer require any protection or pity from others. If you are done interrogating me, I would like to continue on with my business."

"What would it take to melt a heart of ice?" Lezard inquired.

Platina fixed him with an icy glare. "What do you know of love?" She snapped and turned her head.

_**Only of what I will take from you.**_

Lezard's eyebrows furrowed. He glanced down to the location of the Philosopher's Stone.

"_Don't you think the past should stay in the past?"_

Lezard scrunched his eyes shut. _What would Alicia say? She would probably chide me for my selfish actions.__I'm more intelligent than this. I know that loving a person for something that they're not is wrong. She may look like the woman from my dreams, and she may be similar to her, and the soul may be the same, but she is still different. It would be unfair to me and to her to think otherwise._

Platina turned at the sound of Lezard's voice. "What _do_I know of love? I thought I knew…"

Silence enveloped the area. The sounds of nature continued on, oblivious of the internal conflict that Lezard was grappling with—a demon inside of him that refused to relinquish its hold on his sanity.

"I thought I knew as well."

When Platina spoke, it seemed as if the terrible voice in his heart had been banished entirely as if she had sliced through it with the sword that clung loyally to her waist. "I beg your pardon?"

"I still think you're smarmy and un-trustworthy," Platina said. Lezard grimaced. "This talk about past lives and going to find me is difficult to fathom. Although," she stepped closer to him, "I do appreciate your honesty. For that, I shall withhold my judgment about you."

Lezard's eyes lit up and he clenched his hands. "Thank you so much!" Platina loftily tilted her chin. "Please don't let it pain you so," he added.

"It seems you are not as ill-informed about women as you said to be," she crossed her arms.

"Well, I guess that is all because of Alicia."

Lezard frowned at Platina's apathetic countenance. "Alicia is my dearest friend and I am who I am today because of her! You don't know what it's like to be shunned because you exist…"

"What do you mean?"

"I…I've never had a family," Lezard turned from Platina to pick an apple and held it in his hands. "Alicia has been my only family, and now that we're separated, I find it that it has affected me more drastically than I thought. It's just that my dream…" He stopped, startled by the thoughts that entered his head—thoughts of a home, a family. _Surely I cannot tell her such things. I never even knew that this was my greatest desire till now…_

Platina's brows shot up in surprise as Lezard turned to her and bowed. "I must apologize—for everything, and thank you for your kindness in hearing me out. Please, it would be for the best if this meeting never took place. Please accept this as a token for your troubles."

Lezard closed his eyes and proceeded to mumble an incantation of ice. All around his cupped hands, a fine mist appeared for several moments, until a solid object had materialized in his palms. He offered his hands to Platina.

"Is this…?" Platina reached over and took from Lezard's hands a necklace made of ice, a single lily as its centerpiece. "Won't it melt?"

Lezard smiled. "No, it cannot, since it is not real ice, per se. It is simply a magick that uses the element of ice for a basis. No matter how hot it gets, it shall never melt."

Platina fingered the trinket mindlessly as Lezard bowed once more and started to walk away.

"Hold."

Lezard halted at the command. "What is it?"

"You said you were skilled at magic and I hold proof of your prowess." Lezard turned at this to see Platina gazing steadily at him.

"Yes…?"

"I would wonder if you would not be so disinclined to assist my village. We have troubles with the land and water. Also, we have no one to defend the town in the case of the raiders striking."

Lezard felt his insides squirm. He felt a tiny spark of the voice in the back of skull, but, whenever he was around Alicia or Platina, he found that he could contain it quite effortlessly. "Do you wish to enlist my services? I am certainly capable of all that you have requested, although it shall take some time."

Platina nodded curtly. "Yes. Unfortunately we do not have the means to reward you for your efforts, but you will be provided with free room and board as long as you perform your duties efficiently."

Laughing, Lezard nodded as well and strode over to Platina. As she automatically backed up, Lezard apologized. "I'm sorry—I'm just so used to how I act around Alicia. Do not worry—I will keep how to act accordingly around you in the front of my mind."

"I suppose old habits die hard," she supplied.

"Yes, but they shall be overcome. Now," Lezard opened his cloak and dug out a few sheets of paper. "I would be much obliged if you would be able to assist me with getting acquainted with your village. If you'll just read through these and confirm their accuracy…What's wrong?" As he handed the papers to Platina, her countenance darkened.

"It shames me to admit, but I am unskilled at literacy."

_What a naturally intelligent woman to gain such an extensive vocabulary,_ was the first thought that popped into Lezard's head. "Reading is one of the most wonderful experiences of life. With it you can go anywhere and do anything—inspire yourself to reach greater heights….the possibilities are endless. I will make sure that you are able to share in this adventure as soon as possible."

Platina's face twitched as Lezard finished his speech. "What, is it that difficult to smile?"

"We can't stand around here all day. There's work that needs to be done," Platina firmly put an end to the conversation and picked up her basket, pocketing Lezard's necklace as she did so.

_How different she is from Alicia,_ Lezard noted. It was a trifle difficult getting along with Platina, but that only seemed to add to his joy of being around her. After all, Lezard enjoyed a challenge. With the voice only emitting a mild tingling in his head, Lezard took one last look in the direction of Coriander before he trotted to catch up with Platina's furious pace.


	4. Handprints on the Soul

Echoes of the Eternal Recurrence

By: Mena

"Handprints on the Soul"

Mhmmm. Long chapter. You know you like it.

Please let me know if I'm being too repetitive with my word choices. I feel like I'm recycling these words over and over.

Notes: Thank you to 100-series for allowing me to use the name Fortuna for Silmeria's reincarnation. Of course they are in no way the same character. Since Alicia is 20, Fortuna is 22.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Valkyrie Profile or related characters. I also do not own any of the characters from Norse mythology and any semblance to those legends is a mistake on my part.

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_Every soul is different, the personalities as varied as the notes in a song._

_Even when the soul is reborn countless times, the song of the soul never strays, a familiar tune to call to those it cherishes._

_I want to find the song of our hearts, hear the melodies intertwine as the music spreads across time and space._

_Don't ever change._

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_

"_I think it looks silly."_

_Rufus. He was looking down at something in front of him._

_Happiness? Relief?_

_Overwhelming affection._

_His hand came into view and then the folds of his fabric obscured all vision._

_Cedar? Chrysanthemums? _

"_Whaddya say we head on over to Valhalla?"_

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_

"Hey, are you okay?"

Alicia moaned as she came to. She groggily raised a hand to her eyes in an effort to clear away the pools of black. "Wha-? Lezard, what did you do this time?"

"Lezard?" A cocky voice echoed. "Is that your boyfriend? Did he dump you here?"

Alicia's eyes shot open. "Who are you?" She peeked at the woman sitting next to her on the forest floor.

"My name is Fortuna. Was that green-haired man I met on my way in here your boyfriend? He was awfully rude," Fortuna gently gibed at Alicia.

_Rufus?_ Alicia thought, but shook that thought out of her head. _It can't be—I ran into Fortuna, the reincarnation of the woman in my dreams. As if fate would be so kind._ "No, he's not my boyfriend. I was teleported here."

"Really? Teleportation is a powerful magick—I'm jealous really," Fortuna prattled on. Alicia smirked slightly as she stood.

"It may be a time-saver, but it's certainly not a pleasant landing. That must have been the reason I got a little dizzy. Here," Alicia offered a hand to Fortuna who eyed it suspiciously.

"What kind of girl handshakes?"

Alicia's lower lip jutted out. "It's to help you up."

Fortuna shot up off the ground, flashing an arrogant smirk. "I can handle it."

"It's a good idea to take help when it's offered," Alicia chided at Fortuna who rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry—I take after my sister when I meet new people. I don't like acting all shy and nervous," Fortuna said and cleared her throat awkwardly.

Alicia felt her face flush from shame. "I didn't mean to—what I—I'm sorry!" She bowed to Fortuna.

"Well, it seems we're more alike than it seems," Fortuna smiled. "Here," she presented Alicia with the mound of paper that she had dropped when she fainted.

"Thank you," Alicia incredulously took the papers and stuffed them hastily into her travel pack. She snuck a furtive glance at Fortuna, still amazed that she fulfilled part of her journey so quickly.

"Are you as good with a sword as you claim to be?"

"Bards don't exactly extol my virtues and skills, but, yes, I am quite proficient," Alicia shrugged her shoulders as Fortuna laughed.

"Would you care to accompany me? I have been charged with bringing back a valuable chalice and other items that were recently stolen from Solde," Fortuna pointed west.

"Oh! We're in the Lost Forest, then!" Alicia exclaimed.

Fortuna raised an eyebrow. "Yes. I am to search the forest for the Skeleton King, Ruash, and, er, liberate the treasures from his clutches. So," Fortuna looked away from Alicia and coiled a strand of hair round her finger.

It took a few moments for Alicia to snap out of her languor. "Sure! I'll help you and the people of Solde!" She replied with so much zest, several birds in the surrounding trees fluttered away in fright.

Laughing at Alicia's dramatic pose Fortuna flipped her hair and started on the trek through the woods. "Come on, Valkyrie."

"Valkyrie?" Alicia trotted to fall in beside Fortuna.

"Yeah, they're the Battle Maidens sent by Odin to choose the bravest of the fallen warriors to become Einherjar and serve Asgard. Don't you know about them?"

"Our town didn't get too involved with the gods," Alicia admitted. "I know about Odin and a few bits and pieces, but we heard some rumors that Odin was killed."

"Really?" Fortuna drawled. "Rumors about the gods are so fickle these days, it's hard to believe anything. Well, I hope you're ready for some real fighting," she pulled her bow from her back.

Alicia nodded as she pulled her sword out and scanned the area as Fortuna pulled a few arrows from her quiver. _This forest is full of jittery creatures, _Alicia noted as she picked up on their frantic movements. _I feel fidgety myself, but now's not the time to think about that._Her eyes pin-pointed the movement in the bushes to her left just as Fortuna strung her bow.

"Watch a pro!" Fortuna smugly yelled as she shot her arrow, a blazing fire enveloping it and bursting as it hit its target. "Simple! What a privilege it is to be felled by my arrow," she vainly placed a hand to her cheek.

Alicia glanced at the fallen monster, a beetle-like creature with a red shell. "I'd imagine it would be a wonderful experience."

Fortuna strode up next to her, packing away her bow. "I suppose that Ruash is further inside. I was hoping to get through this quickly, too," she sighed.

Shaking her head, Alicia started to trudge forward the fog which had gained density rather quickly. "This isn't poisonous, is it?"

Fortuna shook her head. "I wouldn't know. Sometimes one has to marvel at the creations of the world. I certainly don't feel like I've been poisoned."

Alicia pursed her lips as she stopped once more.

"What is it?" Fortuna asked and yelped in surprise as Alicia leapt behind Fortuna to stab a lanky skeleton in the chest. She followed up by an impressive sweep at its legs, blowing them pieces. Standing once more, Alicia drove the tip of her blade into the skull of the warrior.

"Nothing," Alicia loftily replied and waltzed in front of a gawking Fortuna.

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At first Alicia had thought that Fortuna was nothing like the woman from her dreams. Upon spending a couple hours of traipsing through the forest and decimating monsters, Alicia had to admit that Fortuna was…nothing like the woman from her dreams.

They had stopped to rest for a few moments when Alicia confirmed her suspicions about Fortuna. _She is definitely the one I saw in the cauldron, but…she's…_Alicia rested her jaw upon her hands as Fortuna scouted the immediate area for any signs of enemies. _She's an arrogant, onerous, vainglorious woman. Worlds apart from the other woman. And yet I'm intrigued by her. Could there be more to her than meets the eye?_ Alicia rolled her eyes. _I'm starting to sound like one of those cheesy novels that Lezard owns._

"Hey, Alicia! Come here!" A little ways from where Alicia sat, Fortuna stood looking down at something.

_Where's my little bell,_ Alicia grimaced as she obeyed her summons and went to Fortuna's side. "What is it?"

Fortuna pointed a few feet down where a band of skeletons were carting armfuls of items to a cave. Alicia immediately clasped her hands around Fortuna's mouth and pinned her down to the ground. She glowered at Fortuna who shot her an equally dirty scowl. At least that's what it felt like against the palm of her hand.

"I thought you were supposed to be some mighty warrior! What do you think you're doing—you're going to alert the enemy to our presence!" Alicia hissed as Fortuna squirmed in her grasp. Relinquishing her hold on her new comrade, Alicia balked at Fortuna's strange pout.

"I was planning on drawing them away from the cave," Fortuna sheepishly admitted.

Alicia rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh, there I go again. Sorry for making an ass out of myself once more."

"Don't worry about it." As the two exchanged similar grins, Alicia felt something pass between the two of them. It was almost as if they'd forgiven each other for something far beyond their control. _Ah, who worries about that sort of stuff!_

Alicia stood up. "Whaddya say we go round up some skeletons, partner?"

Fortuna took the hand offered. "Yeeha."

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Standing on either side of the cave's entrance, Alicia and Fortuna glanced every which way for any extra skeleton creatures roaming about.

"I've heard rumors that this isn't so much a cave as an underground path to the old kingdom of Dipan," Fortuna whispered. "Alicia?"

Alicia tore her eyes away from the small spring across from where she stood. "I'm sorry," she murmured. _For a moment, I felt a strong sense of nostalgia, almost as if something important happened there. _Tearing herself away from all emotion, Alicia beckoned Fortuna and they headed into the pathway.

"I can't believe there's still light in here," Fortuna commented as the two cautiously climbed over a board jutting out from the ground.

Alicia nodded in compliance. The path was in a dismal state. Once upon a time it must have been more fitting for people, but now, thanks to Ruash and various other monsters it had fallen in a state of disarray. Board like the one they just crossed poked out from the ground and walls. There was a rotten stench about the place to add to the effect, Alicia noted as her nose twitched.

Fortuna grabbed Alicia's hand and flattened themselves against a wall. She pointed to an entrance on their right. Various scraping noises and muffled cries echoed in the cavern from inside that entrance. Exchanging a glance, the two readied their weapons and crept to the source of the noise.

Twenty-odd skeletons littered a dank area that was lit by several large fire pits instead of torches. In the middle of the area amidst a mound of gold and precious items sat a skeleton creature twice as large as its comrades, its bones charred and decrepit armor covering its head and chest. A broadsword lay against its owner, some dark liquid dropping off its tip. The leader suddenly turned to the entrance but its glance was too late for many of its comrades as a rain of arrows pelted amongst them.

Alicia let out an empowered cry as she dove into the fray, her blade beheading the first skeleton she came across. Fortuna let out a similar whoop and followed up by neatly felling several skeletons in the middle of their heads with arrows that seemed to glow with an intense light.

Fortuna shot a quick glance at Alicia. "You know, Alicia, it's almost as if we've been doing this for years! I've only worked this well with my sister, but-whoa!" Biting off an oath, Fortuna dove to the side as a projectile hit the ground in front her.

"Fortuna!" Alicia shouted as she finished up a flurry of attacks that decimated the remaining skeletons. She heard Fortuna cough as a plume of smoke surrounded her.

"Stay back!"

Alicia gripped the hilt of her sword tighter as she stood riveted in her spot. Once again wiping her emotions away she looked around for the leader, Ruash. She heard the clattering of its bones as it made a furious attempt to ambush Fortuna. Fuming, Alicia ran forward and barreled into Ruash, her face contorting into mixture of pain and alarm as she felt something sear into her side.

"That was stupid," Alicia grumped as she clutched her side. As a result of Alicia's ramming attack, Ruash was thrown several yards backwards, landing headfirst into his pile of booty.

Alicia turned quickly as the smoke around Fortuna dissipated and Fortuna came straggling forward. Alicia cocked an eyebrow as Fortuna clumsily made her way over to Alicia and raised her arms haphazardly.

"Put up yer dukes!" Fortuna slurred.

"Confusion!? How did that happen? Oh, well, I'll just use Normalize!"

"Whash that, schweethart?" Fortuna drawled. Alicia yelped as Fortuna collapsed upon her. Squeaking out an incantation, Alicia and Fortuna dropped like flies to the ground.

"Mraw!" Fortuna pawed around for Alicia's hand.

"This is so…" Alicia coughed as she wriggled a little ways from Fortuna who seemed to have taken on the characteristics of a cat and flopped herself onto Alicia once more. "NORMALIZE!" Alicia bellowed.

Letting out a sigh of immense relief, Alicia watched as a golden light swam around Fortuna and cleared up her status ailment.

"Alicia…?" Fortuna began as she placed a hand to her head. She then realized she was crushing Alicia underneath her and rolled off, appalled that she had fallen prey to such an ailment. Fortuna had never felt so humiliated in her entire life, not even when her sister had attempted to secure her a job in the tavern of their hometown of Kalstad, just to get free drinks whenever she pleased.

Alicia and Fortuna clumsily got to their feet and glared harshly at Ruash. A strange gurgling noise was coming from him which the girls assumed to be laughter or some monster strain of the Black Lung.

"Okay, now you've pissed me off!" Fortuna snarled as she strung her bow and fired a shot that hit true in the center of Ruash. She paled as the skeleton howled in rage and stood up and commenced to charge forward.

Alicia and Fortuna dove out of the way of Ruash. Immediately Alicia twirled around to execute a blistering counterattack that shattered half of Ruash's ribcage. "What?" Alicia hissed in exasperation as a wave of dizziness overcame her.

Fortuna rushed to Alicia's side and braced herself as Alicia collapsed into her arms. "Alicia! What's wrong?" Fortuna asked in a panicky tone. As she supported Alicia, Fortuna felt Alicia's furious heartbeat and the cold sweat that drenched her body. "Poison," she murmured.

Fortuna grunted to hold Alicia up as Ruash bellowed something hostile and leveled its sword at the two women. Fortuna's mind reeled as she bit her lip. _Damn, how'm I gonna get us outta this!? I don't have any dew or arcanums on me!_

"Fire Storm!"

Ruash screamed as its body burst into flames, grinding the bones into cinders. Gasping, Fortuna's eyes sought out their savior. At the entrance to the hide-out stood a man in brown adventurer's garb, a hat draping down in front of his eyes and a gnarled wand clutched in his hands. Upon looking at him, Fortuna was astonished as she felt a strange sense of recognition. Shaking it off, she called out to him.

Running toward the girls, the man released a sigh. "Normalize!" He called in a commanding voice and Alicia was draped in golden light.

Fortuna glanced down at Alicia and shook her gently. "Alicia? Alicia, you're alright, now. Alicia?"

"She is exhausted," the man said and lifted his head to reveal a neatly trimmed beard and moustache. "It seems you do not recognize me." At Fortuna's quizzical glance, he shook his head. "Never mind. My name is Mithra. I have met…Alicia before. She merely needs some rest. Set her down over there," he pointed to a stack of foodstuffs that the monsters had stolen.

Panting heavily, Fortuna took care in dragging Alicia over to the sack and gently lowered her down. Mithra joined her and muttered a healing spell. Fortuna noted that it seemed to concentrate on a slash on Alicia's side. "She'll be okay, right?"

Mithra nodded. "Yes, she'll recover in no time. I suggest you get some rest as well." He proceeded to cast a healing spell on Fortuna as well. She smiled as a warmth filled her body. "Do not fear—I shall stand guard while you rest." With that he headed toward the entrance and stood in front of it, alert as a watch-dog.

Fortuna pursed her lips as she settled down next to Alicia. A sense of shame filled her. For some reason, Fortuna felt an unfamiliar sense of regret and failure. Letting out a deep breath she ran her fingers through her hair. _Am I truly so weak that I cannot protect anyone?_ She looked down to Alicia. _Alicia's so strong and brave…and I am, too. I just have to grow stronger! I won't fail again! _Clenching her fists, Fortuna shifted slightly on the sacks next to Alicia so that their shoulders touched.

"Ru-fus…" Alicia murmured. Fortuna quickly turned to see if Alicia had awoken, but all Alicia did was turn into Fortuna. Pouting, Fortuna looked at Alicia's eyes to see them fluttering rapidly. Fortuna felt something tugging at the back of her own eyes and remembered a sense of indignation before she succumbed to sleep.

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_Where am I, Fortuna wondered as an intricately furnished golden room came into view. Several statues depicting brave men and women lined the walls which were decorated with a brilliant golden trim. There were three beds upon which three girls sat. The black-haired one seemed to be the oldest as the other two looked to her and nodded at some sort of statement. The blue-haired one added something to whatever the black-haired one said and the golden-haired one nodded exuberantly, apparently in awe of her sisters._

_Me? Fortuna wondered. The golden-haired one looked like her when she was younger, and the dark-haired one resembled her sister, Leone._

"_But I can't sleep, Hrist!" The golden-haired girl jumped on her bed. She glanced giddily at the dark-haired one, Hrist. "Momma is so wonderful! Weren't you like this when she first took you? What about you, Lenneth?"_

_The blue-haired one noted the address with a swift glance. "Mother and Father do their best to serve Asgard. It was indeed a pleasure the first time I went, too."_

_Hrist smiled. "It's exhilarating just thinking about gathering and training the warriors to serve Lord Odin and our fellow gods! My training just started," she haughtily added as she scurried over to her youngest sister's bed. _

"_Oohh, I'm so jealous!" _

"_Don't worry, Silmeria, you'll be able to start soon, as well," Lenneth said as she wrapped her arms around her knees._

_Fortuna was overwhelmed with a sense of pride and excitement. Was she feeling this Silmeria's feelings?_

"_That's a long time from now! You'll start before me," Silmeria pouted and crossed her arms. _

"_Hey, hey, hey, chin up!" Hrist snickered as she ruffled Silmeria's golden curls and was impatiently batted away with a squawk of indignation. She struck a gallant pose. "Your sister, Hrist, who loves you so much, will show you how to do the moves!" Hrist snatched one of Fortuna's pillows from the head of the bed and dramatically punctuated the air with swift, precise strokes. "You'll be able to kick the butts of those Undead back to Nifelheim and beyond!"_

_Silmeria clapped in awe as Hrist continued to whip out some jumps and various flairs of bravado. A smile tugged at Lenneth's lips until she could contain it no more and burst into giggles along with her other sister. Hrist grinned devilishly and clocked Silmeria upside the head with her pillow._

"_Hrist! You meanie! I'll get you!" Silmeria eagerly snatched up a pillow and flung it at Hrist who escaped it by falling onto the bed. The pillow kept flying through the air to collide with Lenneth's face. _

"_Ooh," Hrist chortled. "Now you've done it!" Silmeria recoiled as Lenneth slowly brought her head up…and flung two pillows simultaneously at her miscreant sisters._

_All three girls screamed as they proceeded to barrage each other with pillows. After several minutes they collapsed in fits of giggles onto Silmeria's bed._

"_I thought you were going to bed," a stern male voice broke through the giggles._

"_Daddy!" Hrist exclaimed as she plowed into the man's stomach. Chuckling, the man reached down to fondly pet Hrist's head. He was a tall man with raven hair and golden eyes to rival Hrist's, decked out in a regal suit of armor. "You girls know what happens to the losers, right?" At the girls' curious looks, their father grinned deviously. "They're carted off to Valhalla!" He proclaimed and picked Hrist up and flung her over his shoulders and carried her off to her bed._

"_Daddy!" Hrist twittered as she was plopped onto her bed. "Watch out Lenneth!"_

_Lenneth squealed as she and Silmeria scattered to escape their father. Roaring with laughter he tucked a girl under each arm. He dropped Lenneth onto her bed and twirled his little girl in the air before plopping Silmeria down as well. _

_A sense of peace and affection filled Fortuna's heart._

"_Way to go, Siegfried. Now the girls will never get to bed," a woman clucked as she surveyed the chamber, noting the disheveled looks about her three girls. _

"_Momma!" Silmeria cried as she opened her arms wide for her mother. The slim woman with golden-red hair and emerald armor smiled sublimely as she strode over to Silmeria. _

_Enveloping Silmeria in her arms, she turned a loving eye to her other daughters. "And you two, I suppose you didn't egg your sister on?"_

"_Of course not!" Lenneth chirped, unable to conceal her excitement._

_Siegfried sat down next to Hrist who immediately cuddled up to him. He slung an arm around her shoulders. "It was a big day for all of them, Brynhildr. After all, it's not everyday your daughter begins her training as a Valkyrie!" He proudly ruffled Hrist's hair._

"_You're right," Brynhildr laughed airily as Hrist swelled with pride._

"_I'll make you proud, Mother!" Hrist clenched her fists in determination._

"_We're both already proud of all of you," Brynhildr detached herself from Silmeria to caress the top of Hrist's head. She kissed the top of her forehead. "To bed with you."_

"_Good night, sweetheart," Siegfried added and echoed Brynhildr's action. Hrist smiled sweetly and dug under her covers._

"_My little goddesses of fate," Brynhildr murmured solemnly as she stroked Lenneth's head and planted a kiss on her head an act mimicked by Siegfried. Lenneth echoed her parents' sentiments and ducked under her sheets._

"_Why do we have to go to sleep? We're gods—we don't have to sleep!" Silmeria declared as her parents came to tuck her in._

_Hrist sat up. "Sleep so that you grow big and strong!" She commanded._

"_You should obey Mother and Father," Lenneth's voice was muffled as she scolded Silmeria._

"_You three are special," Siegfried kissed the top of Silmeria's head. "You are the goddesses of fate, and in order to grow into your powers, you need to give your body time to develop into an appropriate vessel to harness your power. If you suddenly matured to your final, immortal state, your powers would be stunted and you would be unable to wield them to their true potential."_

"_He's right," Brynhildr sat next to Silmeria and ran a hand through her hair. "It would split your powers up. It would take something extraordinary to bring them into fruition again. Which is why you need to sleep," she punctuated each word with a touch to Silmeria's forehead._

"_Okay, okay," Silmeria consented and burrowed under her covers. "Sing us a song?"_

_Brynhildr smiled complacently as Siegfried kissed her cheek. As the notes burst from her lips, her daughters were enraptured by the beauty of the melody and the radiant resplendence of their mother, the Valkyrie._

"_Goodnight, my beloved," Brynhildr whispered as she kissed the top of Silmeria's eyelids._

_Fortuna was once again filled with an overwhelming feeling of love as darkness obscured her vision. A tremulous cry broke through the fog and once again she was in the girls' bedchambers. This time the room was darkened and the girls appeared to be several years older._

"_Momma! Poppa!" Silmeria cried as she shot up from her bed. Hearing no reply, her breathing came in ragged gasps._

"_Silmeria," Hrist's voice was several notches deeper. She approached Silmeria's bed. Lenneth quietly appeared at her side._

_Silmeria looked from one to another. "They're really gone, aren't they…" She looked down._

_Hrist and Lenneth stood by in silence as Silmeria's body began to heave and sobs escaped her lips. _

"_Hrist!?" Silmeria was startled as her eldest sister gathered her into her arms and held her close. She also incredulously looked to Lenneth who appeared next to her as well and began to stroke her hair, humming the melody their mother sang to them._

_As the sisters huddled together comforting each other, Fortuna could've sworn the room glowed a little brighter. Once more darkness overcame her vision until a single figure appeared in the darkness, a soft light hovering over it. Alicia, Fortuna wondered as the figure came into view._

_A small girl who appeared similar to Alicia sniffled._

"**When I first realized Silmeria was with me, I couldn't sleep."****  
**

_Fortuna felt a chill grip her body as these words echoed inside her head. Sadness like that she had never before experienced flooded through her being. A vision of Silmeria, all grown-up, standing over the girl jabbed at her heart before a swirl of red appeared and she knew no more._

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_

_The woman. Fortuna? No, different from Fortuna, somehow. The features were filled in a little more, but she was still a vague outline. Alicia could feel the frustration cripple her. The woman spoke but Alicia still couldn't hear her. _

_The woman was sitting in the place with the glowing sky and trees. Surrounding her were Rufus, Lenneth, Hrist, Arngrim and Brahms. Alicia could see right next to the woman's shoulders. As she glanced at her a strange sensation came over her. It wasn't so much a vision as a glimpse into the woman's heart._

_She was sad._

_Was she afraid to lose someone? So afraid that she closed her heart?_

_Why, Alicia thought. _

_Don't be lonely._

_I'm here._

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_

Alicia cussed as a dull pain throbbed in her side. She woke up despondent, only to have her emotional state paralleled by her physical status. Lifting her eyes up, she was taken aback to see that Fortuna was lying next to her.

Noticing that Fortuna was struggling with her dreams, Alicia took her firmly by the shoulders. "Fortuna! Wake up!"

Fortuna's eyes shot open and several tears cascaded down her face as she registered Alicia's presence. Alicia made a move as if to comfort her but Fortuna quickly brushed her arm across her eyes and stood. "Must've gotten some dust in my eyes. Pull it together," she hissed to herself as she slapped her cheeks.

"You're awake."

Alicia was just about to pursue the issue when Mithra approached them. "Oh! Mithra!" She suddenly clasped a hand to her mouth. _He was…uhm…an Einherjar? That's right—he was the first one the woman summoned on her journey. It happened at the little spring outside._

"Yes!" Mithra was evidently pleased at the recognition. "I'm glad you're feeling better. Please try to be more cautious in the future. Your friend was rather worried," he added as Alicia nodded vigorously.

"Well, I've gotta take that chalice and the other items back," Fortuna cleared her throat and looked away from Alicia's penetrating gaze. "Besides," she grinned greedily, "I get to keep whatever doesn't belong to them as part of my payment! Of course, I'll give you a fair cut," she hastily added to Alicia.

Alicia scowled at Fortuna's greed. "Helping others is its own reward."

"Yeah but having the dough to get to places helps too," Fortuna waved a hand and turned to the pile of gold and items. "Let's see, here," she mumbled as she produced a lengthy scroll from her pouch and whipped out a quill to mark the items.

Alicia laughed as her disappointment dissipated into affection as Fortuna looked up from her list. "What's so funny?"

Standing up, Alicia did an eerily accurate impersonation of Fortuna. "'Looking through papers gets you nowhere in the battlefield!'"

Fortuna sulked as she returned to her list. "Fret not, little one, I'll make sure everything gets back."

Alicia gave Mithra a grin. "Come on, don't be such a stiff—we'll help!" With that she bounced friskily to Fortuna's side and peered at the list. "Okay, Mithra, let's get these things!"

As Alicia and Mithra proceeded to divvy up the pile, a bright gleam a little ways from the pile caught Fortuna's eye. As she discerned the source of the light, a diamond bracelet, she was instantly enamored with the splendor of its craftsmanship. Never before had she seen such an exquisite piece of jewelry.

"Hey, Fortuna, bring that list over here!" Alicia beckoned from across the pile.

"Coming!" Fortuna answered, checking over the list and then pocketing the bracelet.

"Everything alright?"

Fortuna smiled as Alicia gave her the once-over. "Yes—let's get this over with and head on to Solde. Tonight I'll pay for a real bed for you!"

By the time Alicia and her companions reached Solde, the sun was setting, blanketing the town in a warm red tone. All around the taverns were gathering in the night's patrons and children were running through the streets to get home to eat. Alicia was twirled around by one such child who apologized quickly and ran into Fortuna in his haste.

"Careful!" Alicia lunged forward to help Fortuna prevent the sacks she was carrying from falling over.

"Perhaps it would be wise to take the boats to our destination," Mithra commented, seemingly oblivious to the spectacle around him.

"We need to get to the armor shop," Fortuna's voice appeared from behind a mound of items.

Alicia, who was more used to carrying heavier items than Fortuna, offered to take more since she was saddled with hardly anything, but Fortuna grumpily refused her offer. Rolling her eyes, Alicia jogged ahead of the other two to the river where she hailed a boatman.

"There!"

Mithra politely coughed as Fortuna flung her sacks into the boat haphazardly. Fortuna then yelped in dismay as she lost her balance. Alicia reached out to grab her and the two clumsily tried to regain footing before leaping into the boat and collapsing heavily on the seats.

The boatman chuckled. "Quite a pair of girls you've got there."

Mithra paled. "No, they're not my daughters. They're not even related."

Stroking his chin, the boatman looked at the two girls talking animatedly with each other. "Ah, well, let's get going."

With that he shoved his pole into the river and started the trek to the armor shop, plodding along slowly due to the weight of all the items. Alicia gaped at the splendor of the city and marveled at all the activity that continued on as the sky darkened.

Fortuna rested her chin in her hands. "Is this your first time in a city like this?"

"I'm from Coriander and the biggest thing we have is a rickety old watermill. The only time I got to see anything like this was when I looked at paintings from my friend's books."

Alicia cut off Fortuna's next statement as the magnificent chapel to the gods came into view. As her eyes traveled upwards Alicia found herself staring at the proud figure of the woman at the top. Fortuna's gaze also was riveted on the woman and the two continued to gaze at her until she was well out of sight.

"That was a statue of a Valkyrie," Mithra supplied as the girls craned their necks to catch a final glimpse of the sculpture.

Alicia nodded absent-mindedly. _Once again I feel as if I've been here before, that I've looked at that statue. When I saw it I felt a sense of despair and even hope. I wonder…_

"Here we are!"

Fortuna leapt out of the boat first and handed a few Oth to the man for his services. As she reached down to heft some sacks up, she was surprised to see that Alicia had already brought them out and was effortlessly tossing them onto her back.

"That's_my_ job," Fortuna scowled. Alicia merely stuck her tongue out in response.

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Yawning slightly, Alicia strode away from the armor shop to wander around the town. Fortuna had gone in to return her items and collect her due while Mithra bid them a fond farewell, telling Alicia privately that she could always find a way to contact him here. Alicia found it a bit disconcerting how he seemed to know her, but brushed it off. She wanted to visit the chapel.

As she pulled open the massive doors to the chapel entrance, Alicia's breath was taken away by the simplicity of the area. The extravagant outside was a direct contrast to the inside which was filled with plain wooden pews, but as she looked around the area more, Alicia noticed that the statues that filled the corners and center of the room were in no way inferior to the one perched atop the building.

"Hey, hey hey!" Alicia let out a muffled cry as a body slammed into her.

"Who are you?"

The woman who looked to be about a couple years younger than her scratched her blonde head. "What do you mean?"

Alicia took in the woman with a simple archer's outfit and a large quiver strapped on her back. Images from a decrepit temple on a lake flooded into her mind. "Phyress?"

"Yeah!" Phyress chirped and shook Alicia's hands rigorously. "Whatcha doin'? Any tall men appearing at your side?" She grinned and looked around the doors to see if anyone was coming in.

Alicia frowned at Phyress' behavior. "No, of course not." _Why do these people seem to know me? Is it because I resemble the woman in my dreams?_

"Hey, hey, I found something for you! It was mine, but I think it should belong to you," she said as she began digging through her pockets.

Alicia gasped as Phyress produced a beautiful diamond bracelet. As Phyress placed it in her hands, Alicia noticed that it seemed to emit a warm glow to go with its own unearthly shimmer from the diamonds. "It's almost as if it glows in the dark."

"I know, it's so pretty. Celes had one, too, but she lost it somewhere during the war." Phyress folded her arms and pouted. "I'm the one who lost the arm and SHE'S the one who loses the bracelet."

As Phyress jabbered on, Alicia couldn't help thinking that the bracelet would go well with Fortuna. _Like her hair this bracelet seems to glow like the sun. Just holding it reminds me of things I'd long since forgotten, like when my mother took care of me when I was sick…_

"Alicia!"

Alicia and Phyress turned to see Fortuna waving wildly and shouting her greetings. Several people in the pews turned and glared harshly at Fortuna. Alicia felt her face flush as Fortuna stomped on over. "Would it kill you to learn a little tact?"

Fortuna ignored Alicia's scornful comment. "C'mon, I'm tired and hungry. Who're you?" She demanded upon noticing Phyress.

Dumbfounded, Phyress struggled for a few moments to piece together a few words. "It's me, Phyress! Don't you remember?"

Fortuna scoffed a "bah" and turned impatiently to Alicia.

"Rats. 0 for 2," Phyress hung her head dejectedly.

"Maybe I'll see you around next time I'm here and thank you very much," Alicia bowed as she ushered a protesting Fortuna out of the chapel.

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Fortuna growled as a brilliant light pierced through her eyelids. "Goway."

Alicia pouted as she yanked the curtains open further. "Get up! I can't believe your behavior!"

Pulling the covers over her head Fortuna attempted to ignore Alicia's telling off. Unfortunately Alicia anticipated such a reaction and wrested the sheets out of Fortuna's grasp.

Admitting defeat, Fortuna raised her hands in concession. "Whaddya mean?"

Jabbing a finger in Fortuna's face, Alicia continued her tirade. "First you make a spectacle of yourself in the chapel, then you make a scene trying to find out what I got, then you shovel food in your face like some sort of _mercenary,_ and you drank so much you jumped on the table and started babbling like some sort of zealot! After which I had to drag you, kicking and screaming up here to bed!" Alicia yapped as Fortuna waved away her words. "It was like taking care of a two-year old."

"I'm glad to hear that I've helped you on your pathway to parenthood," Fortuna drawled as Alicia smacked her harshly on the shoulder. "Fine, fine, I'm sorry, I'll control myself. Happy?"

Alicia curtly nodded as Fortuna rolled out of her bed. "What about your sister? Why isn't she here?"

Fortuna laughed as she grabbed a comb from the nearby vanity to tackle the snarls in her hair. "Ha! Leone's famous divide and conquer technique is in full-swing! This is the time of year when monsters seem to be at a low, so we split up so as not rack up such a debt and meet up in Crell Monferaigne to regroup and tackle the larger bounties. It's a wonderful plan, especially since they have the best tavern in all of Midgard," she wistfully added.

"Is that you or Leone talking?"

Fortuna flippantly tossed her hair and shooed Alicia out of the room.

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"Well, I guess this is it," Alicia stated as she and Fortuna neared Solde's western exit.

"I guess."

Alicia glanced over to Fortuna who rubbed her nose impatiently and started digging through her pockets. She shoved a thousand Oth into Alicia's hands. "This is your share and don't try to argue with me," her voice cut through Alicia's protests. "Besides, I feel bad for letting you get hurt."

"Don't be," Alicia added as she scooched closer to Fortuna. "It's as much my fault as yours."

A smile slowly blossomed on Fortuna's face at Alicia's words. A light sparked in her eyes and she fumbled around in her pockets to present a fist to Alicia.

Alicia eyed it suspiciously. "What's in your hand?"

"A thank-you gift."

"For what?" Alicia cocked her head. Fortuna shook her head.

Alicia pried open Fortuna's hand and was overcome with a sense of embarrassment and surprise. "It's beautiful…"

Fortuna nonchalantly glanced around the area. "It was the only thing that Ruash hadn't stolen from Solde, and I thought you might like it. I'm certainly not prey to such feminine weakness."

"And I am?" Alicia teased as she put the bracelet on her left hand and held it up to the sun, admiring the reflections of the diamonds in the light. "By the way, I also have something for you."

Utterly failing in her excitement, Fortuna broke her pose and turned to Alicia. "Really!? Uh…"

Alicia laughed as she presented Fortuna with the bracelet she received from Phyress. A rosy color tinged Fortuna's cheeks as she copied Alicia's actions and placed it on her wrist.

"It's the same bracelet."

"I know—isn't it strange? We kind of knew exactly what the other wanted…" Alicia trailed off as she recalled the events of the past couple days. She and Fortuna were so similar on the inside it was almost as if they were the same person.

"Thank you," Fortuna held out her hand to Alicia who murmured her thanks as well.

As Fortuna headed for Sukavia Gorge, Alicia felt oddly embarrassed. "Uhm…"Alicia experienced the uncomfortable sensation of her face reddening as she nervously pushed her index fingers together, a gesture abandoned so many years ago.

Fortuna stopped and turned. "Yes?"

How could Alicia say what was really on her mind? _Hey, Fortuna, you've been the central figure of my dreams for the past 14 years of my life and part of the reason I started on this quest was to find you?_

"Will I…will I see you again?"

Fortuna's eyes widened at Alicia's question. For some reason she felt like closing the gap between her and Alicia and putting her hands on Alicia's shoulders—that kind gesture frightened her almost as much as what she was feeling. When she looked into Alicia's eyes to see everything racing through her heart, only one thought came to mind: "I am sure we will meet again."

With that the two young women smiled and took to their separate paths.


	5. Shadow of a Known Life

Echoes of the Eternal Recurrence

By: Mena

"Shadow of a Known Life"

Oh, AliciaxRufus goodness.

Mhhh…a few anonymous things about Alicia and Silmeria…I'm trying to make it ambiguous, but apparently some people are a trifle steamed about it. Don't think too hard or too deep into it. Maybe I just suck at writing close female relationships. ??? I just happen to think that they're too close to even see each other, or, I don't know. Giving up, now…

Also…about Fortuna's dreams and people not in VP universe…yes, it is confusing. I apologize. It will be explained eventually (hopefully I can pull it off). Right now, I'm just having trouble about the ending. I've got three, so…

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Valkyrie Profile or related characters.

* * *

_Have you ever felt like there was something in your mind that you just couldn't reach?_

_Obviously a thought, but what about a person? A feeling? A life?_

_Sometimes I want to grasp at that outline of a void, and when I do, one day it will become clear._

_It will be my life with you._

* * *

The rickety door of a simple home in Lacrimean was shoved forcefully open, the hinges rattling viciously. Lezard shifted the massive amount of books tucked under his arms in order to move around to the other side and throw his weight against the door in an attempt to shut it.

"Whew," he sighed as he shook a sheen of sweat off his forehead. Turning to go further in his home he yelped in terror to see Platina, nose buried in a voluminous book, reclining gracefully on his divan as if it were a throne.

"Oh, Hel!" Lezard nose-dived to the floor, his books scattering across the floor.

Platina acknowledged his presence with a page-turn that lasted a millisecond longer than usual.

Grimacing, Lezard reached around to gather his books. "Might I inquire as to your presence here?"

"I would think that you would be happy to see me," Platina evenly replied.

"Of course it is always a pleasure," Lezard huffed as he placed his books on the table. "Is there something I might do for you?"

_Only Platina could make silence into a blanket of ice,_ Lezard shivered as Platina continued to scan her book. "Uhm, I've been meaning congratulate you on your reading prowess. In six months, you've read every book in town at least ten times and rewritten nearly every single record it has kept in addition to the new ones. It's highly impressive."

Another page turn. Lezard would consider himself blessed by the heavens if her eyes moved from the pages.

"I hear you were late to your class today."

Lezard blanched. "By one minute, how did you…"

"I know everything there is worth knowing."

Lezard let out an exhalation of air that mysteriously sounded like a snort, which he tried in vain to cover up by boisterous coughing.

"I need not remind you that your very life in this town is in my hands. I do not take your disregard for the education of our village to be a positive mark on your character. You will be punished suitably for your actions."

"Argh!" Lezard clutched his head. "Not scrubbing floors!"

Platina finally graced him with eye contact. "Of course not. I am merely joking."

Never before did Lezard even guess that Platina had a sense of humor. Ever. "Really? Well, I might as well tell you why I was late, I at least owe you that much."

Platina marked her page and sat up. "Do tell."

_Great Odin's raven, why does she make me feel as if I were addressing a nation instead of a person?_ "I was teleporting to Crell Monferaigne to get you a birthday present."

Lezard backed up a few paces as Platina's eyes narrowed. "And, pray tell, how did you come by that piece of information?" It was couched as a request, but there was no skirting around the fact that it was an order.

Even though Platina made no move whatsoever, Lezard unconsciously flattened himself against a wall, feeling as if his insides were being squished. "Oh, you know, small town…ha ha…"

"I see."

"Don't you want to see what I got you?"

"I suppose."

A dull silence stretched for several moments before Lezard racked up his courage to present Platina with her gift—the mountain of books he had just brought inside. As his knees buckled under the weight, he was surprised to see a docile expression come over Platina as she stared at the books.

"What are they about?"

"Oh, you know, swords, magick," Lezard prattled as Platina snatched the books out of his hands, "…stories, world history, theology, philosophy and cooking." Platina chucked that last book at Lezard's head.

"Ow! What was that for!?"

"For making an insult," Platina snarled as she tore into the first book about swords.

Lezard hung his head. "I've created a monster…"

Platina pointed to the end table. "Your toothbrush."

"Huh?" Lezard picked up the musty piece of wood with brittle bristles. "I can't use this! It'll chop up my mouth!"

A sigh made its way over the book. "For scrubbing the floors."

"I thought you were joking!"

"I was. This is for your insolence."

Lezard was just about to get serious when Platina added a rough "thank you" and turned a page quickly.

"You're welcome," he smiled. Once more Lezard was surprised when Platina lowered her book to let him see the smile in her eyes.

A scream broke the air and Platina threw her books off her lap and unsheathed her sword. "Raiders!?"

The two raced outside to be met with a struggle between the townspeople and some humanoid creatures. Platina and Lezard wasted no time and rushed towards their comrades to assist them in their battle.

"What are these creatures?" Platina demanded as she dove at the legs of one such creature, sending it to the ground. She looked to Lezard as she drove her sword into the creature's chest cavity.

"I…" An image of brick-laden tower materialized in his head along with a bed…and Platina…

"Pay attention!"

Lezard regained his senses as Platina shoved him roughly to the side to evade an onslaught of lunges by a creature. Lezard critically took in the thing that Platina was grappling with. Like all the other ones that infested the town square, the creature was humanoid in appearance with some cheap armor covering its head and torso. The skin was a sickening purplish hue and the dots for its eyes glowed a blood-red shade.

"_We have come for you, masss-ter,_" the creature hissed and reached for Lezard.

"Fire Storm!" Lezard yelled as he sent the creature catapulting into several of its comrades, their screams escalating as they burned. He looked around the perimeter. It seemed that he and Platina took care of the monsters that had infested this area.

"Platina…" rasped one of the townsfolk.

"Riyon! What has happened?" Platina grabbed the arm of the man who addressed her. A sturdy middle-aged man with a rugged exterior and kind heart, Riyon was the blacksmith of the town. Placing his hand on Platina's for support, Riyon breathed a sigh of relief as Lezard cast a spell of healing on him.

"I don't know—one moment we were returning from the woods with our hunt, the next there was a flash of light and these, _demons_, appeared."

Lezard crossed his arms. "A teleportation spell? But who would send them? And why?"

Riyon shook his head. "Who the Hel knows? Once those demons landed, they started to roll their heads around like they were possessed. We stayed away from them, but they started to send magick attacks our way. After that…well…" He looked from Platina to Lezard. "What are they?"

"I'm afraid I do not know. Pray tell, are there any more about?"

"My son! Arien! He and several others attempted to draw these creatures away from the town!"

"It seems they are searching for someone or something," Lezard mumbled. "Do not worry, Sir Riyon. We will go and assist your son and the others!"

Platina shot him a shifty look but grabbed his hand and led them from the square to the far end of town where another patch of monsters were raining blows upon the weary men of the town.

Lezard felt the power of the Philosopher's Stone flare up and the magic grew in his hands as he shot a bolt of lightning at the nearest creature. Platina drew her sword and lunged ahead, moving towards the other men of the town.

"Arien!" Platina cried as a monster sluggishly brought its sword down on her, as if to decapitate her.

"Got your back!" Platina blinked in relief as the monster in front of her had an axe plow through its back.

Arien, a younger version of Riyon, with the same dirty blonde hair and rugged features, nodded at Platina. "There's only a few left here—several more went into the forest. I'm going after them—please take care of things here!"

Platina nodded in acquiescence as Riyon and the several others went into the forest. She turned to Lezard who was also watching her back, incinerating several monsters with his fire spells.

"What's going on!?"

"I don't know! I've never seen these things before—" Platina made a furious motion to dispel the creature in front of her before turning in alarm to a choking Lezard.

"**You cannot escape my homunculi, boy. Give it up."**

"Lezard!?" Platina nervously leveled her sword at a writhing Lezard. "No, you are not he. Speak, demon!"

Lezard's body turned in a shuddering motion to face her blade. **"Will you strike me down? It would be in vain, my dearest Lenneth. I shall simply rise again until I fulfill my desires."**

"I do not care about your desires. Begone!" Platina's voice trembled with the power of her statement. A bluish aura surrounded her being and the body in front of her straightened.

"**It seems that you've retained some of your powers as the Creator. I may have under-estimated you, but it is of little consequence,"** Platina felt a chill race through her body at the vile words escaping Lezard's mouth.

"I will not hesitate to strike you," she replied in a voice that was not quite her own.

"**Really, now? Is that you or the Valkyrie talking?"**

As Platina lunged forward a cry escaped her lips as several homunculi, appearing from seemingly nowhere, flung themselves at her, effectively dog piling her.

Lezard bowed. **"Now, if you'll kindly excuse me, I must return to my research."** He bent down to Platina and attempted to caress her jaw line, a gesture that eluded him as she jerked her head away. The homunculi to her right administered a sharp blow to her head which temporarily halted her attempts to escape.

A wave of dizziness paralyzed Platina. She was dimly aware that the homunculi on her got off and slunk over to Lezard. His lips were moving but her mind didn't seem to register anything he was saying.

"Lezard!" Platina screamed as a lattice formed around him and the remaining homunculi and, in an instant, disappeared.

"Platina!"

Several villagers hobbled on over to their fallen leader, giving her room as she rose. "What happened? What were those things? Is Lezard—"

"It is not his fault. Someone has spirited him away from us," Platina turned with a grace that seemed unbecoming when contrasted with the dirt and grime that lined her face and clothes. "I will stay to make sure the village gets back on track and then you will be in charge, Arien," she nodded to the sturdy chap who had instantly gravitated next to her.

"Right," Arien obeyed and started to bark orders to the remaining villagers. When finished he turned to see Platina clutching something in her hands. "A clue?"

She glanced at his curious expression. "Indeed."

With that, she opened up her palm and held the necklace Lezard had made her up to the light. "I will not fail again," she solemnly swore.

* * *

_How quickly the first year away from home went!_ Alicia hummed a little ditty to herself as she entered the final forest that Lezard had mapped out for her—The Forest of Spirits.

"Hrm, the Forest of Spirits has some tricks up its sleeve," Alicia read aloud as she continued her trek. "'Follow the flowers'? What the…how can he write about flowers all the time…" she shook her head.

Alicia stopped a moment as she stared at the beautiful, lush greenery that seemed to stretch for ages before her. As she took in the sight, she felt a dull ache in her heart, like she should be sharing this sight with someone. Unconsciously twisting the bracelet Fortuna gave her, Alicia let out a guffaw as she thought about the people she knew that she could be spending this with.

None of the Einherjar that she had met during the past year seemed to fill the void in her heart, although she gave a loopy grin when she thought of the mage, Xehnon.

_Lezard would probably blow the moment by talking about vegetation or some mutagenic growth and the effect would most likely be lost on Fortuna…_Once more Alicia huffed as she felt a thought elude her, an important piece of information that was just flitting about.

In an effort to pin down the stray thought, Alicia let out a breath and plopped herself down on the ground and dug a journal out of her pack. While she lived in Coriander, Lezard had constantly pestered her about the supposed importance of a journal. Alicia had countered his attacks by stating that nothing exciting ever happened in Coriander.

Lezard didn't even attempt to combat the truth.

While in Solde, Alicia had to grudgingly admit that Lezard had a point, and she purchased this hefty folio, her encounter with Fortuna proving to her that her life was now taking a turn to the more exciting adventures of life.

Her first entry, of course, had been her adventure with Fortuna, how they had defeated Ruash and met Mithra, an Einherjar of the woman in her dreams.

Alicia's eyes glazed over. Her dreams covered many of the pages in her journal. As she traversed the land in search of Rufus, the dreams she had of the woman seemed to correspond with where she was at.

Of course, Alicia grinned to herself, life on the road was tough. She wasn't rich by any means, and she often had to spend many nights in towns and villages, looking for some sort of work to earn her money for room and board. Many jobs were listed in her book, some good, like helping customers in armories find the right equipment or looking after the children of the town, others…

A few months ago, Alicia found herself in the village of Kalstad. Fortuna once told her that Kalstad was the place where she and her sister, Leone, grew up. Alicia had nearly missed the town—so much of it was steeped in sand, hardly anything poked out to even show it existed. She felt a pang in her heart as the knowledge that the village was doomed entered her mind.

There wasn't much in Kalstad, but the bar was amazing. Alicia wasn't too fond of the drink, as she found the taste too bitter, but when she entered the bar, the owner exclaimed she was an angel sent by the gods, and sweet Freya, their beloved Fortuna had returned!

As she noted in her journal, Alicia found that it was hard to tell how you've changed, grown and even felt. When the bartender claimed that she was the spitting image of Fortuna, Alicia felt a sense of pride like never before fill her heart.

Sometimes she would look at her reflection and see that her hair had evolved to some straggly and unkempt form to resemble Fortuna's.

She wondered what Rufus would think of that.

After several minutes of telling the bartender that, no, she wasn't Fortuna, and no, she wasn't married, and no thank you, I'm not your type, she was offered a job of being a waitress at the bar.

Obviously, Alicia noted the entry with several bold stars, this was _not_ her favorite job. Ever. The men that frequented the bar obviously must have had some sort of thing for Fortuna, since they leered at Alicia, spouted obscene comments and even attempted to feel her up.

Alicia responded to this by blackening a few eyes and dropping hot contents into the laps of said offenders.

She had thought that the one night she spent in Kalstad was the worst night of her life, but, as she perused through her journal, making little side comments, that was the night she met her favorite Einherjar, Xehnon.

Besides doing the odd jobs around towns, Alicia also had taken up monster bounties and even joined a couple of treasure hunting expeditions. On these occasions, she had happened to meet many of the Einherjar that appeared in her dreams. Roland, a handsome heavy warrior, accompanied her for a large portion of the previous year, proclaiming that he was her loyal vassal.

He constantly referred to her "Princess."

Alicia felt uneasy by this reference and the strange dreams that accompanied it, visions of a beautiful city surrounded by the sea, a gentle woman and father. After a mission to cleanse the Turgen Mines of a monster manifestation, Alicia bid Roland farewell and headed to Kalstad, hoping that no one would call her Princess again.

Xehnon looked at her the same way Roland did, but, thankfully, said nothing about it. Alicia felt compelled to show him her journal. He politely smiled and devoted his energy to it. When he was done, Xehnon simply shrugged his shoulders and offered her his services. Alicia found it easy to work with him and that he was pleasurable company.

Being with the Einherjar helped her forget she was lonely.

She and Xehnon made their way to Crell Monferaigne in the few months they were together, effectively purging areas such as the volcano of Surts and even tackling the foes of the Crawsus Forest Ruins.

Alicia had noticed the remnants of a castle tucked away outside of Crell Monferaigne and convinced Xehnon to take her there. It was there that Alicia recalled with startling precision the memories she held of Hrist Valkyrie and her human alter-ego. She then remembered that Fortuna's sister was named Leone. She and Xehnon agreed that fate was a funny thing, indeed.

Alicia was nearly at the end of her entries, now. One of the last entries, entered a couple of weeks ago, detailed her impression of Crell Monferaigne and Xehnon's departure.

Like Roland and the other Einherjar, Xehnon could not tell her the name of the woman in her dreams.

Lady Valkyrie.

Nor did they elaborate about Rufus.

Alicia felt her face heat up as she scanned over her last several entries. All were dreams about Rufus—a forest, a dragon, a sensation, a touch.

Rats, Alicia scowled as she closed her journal and stuffed it away in her pack. The elusive thought escaped her once more. Maybe it had something to do with Rufus? His location? It _was_ the last forest Lezard had mapped out for her…

"Ah, well, I'm sure Rufus will be here!" She declared to no one and stamped her foot and headed deep in the belly of the woods.

* * *

"Another day, another night, another year," Rufus sighed in dismay as he headed toward the gates of Bifrost. He sluggishly trudged forward, feet dragging in the hopes that _something_ would happen.

Every year since his reign over Asgard began, Rufus made a trek across Midgard, apparently the only one besides the Einherjar who was concerned about the peace and stability of Midgard. Freya, of course, had a renewed vendetta against the world of mortals ever since the whole Odin incident, and everyone had to obey her. It was a miracle that Rufus was even allowed to leave Asgard.

Going on these little journeys not only served Midgard, but it also served the purpose of temporarily relieving his mind of Alicia.

Rufus smirked as he navigated his way through the Forest of Spirits. The monsters here were strong, but he was the ruler of Asgard, so they made decent target practice, if anything.

As he continued his way to Bifrost, Rufus noted with a twinge of concern that a group of monsters were following him, their numbers increasing steadily as the minutes went by. It wasn't that they were strong to speak of—it was the fact that they were planning and scheming.

He supposed he would have to do something about it.

Maybe it was the Undead? Vanir?

That last thought made Rufus cringe. He would have to talk to Freya about this. Any mention of the Vanir automatically erupted in a vicious spat between him and Freya, resulting in talk of Ragnarök, Valkyries, Alicia…

Rufus slowed his pace even more. His eyes scanned his immediate area. The monsters that were following him had halted and were waiting to make their move. Rufus hated waiting, so he stopped and cracked his back as he felt the monsters scuttle together, ready to pounce.

"Oh, ho, an interruption from my intellectual interlude?" Rufus quipped as a legion of mandragoras rustled out from the brush. _So that's what's been following me._

"Outnumbered, eh? No big deal." With that, Rufus strung his bow and shot a myriad amount of arrows into the air, falling with grim accuracy as they hit their targets. It surprised him how easy they were felled. Rufus wondered if he would ever get used to being a god.

He felt it coming long before he saw the movement. Perhaps becoming a god allowed him some sort of pre-sensory function? The mastermind of the mandragora gang came out of the shadows—a Kobold who, Rufus noted with disdain, had dressed like him—waddled toward him, tiny bow at the ready. Just as Rufus raised an arrow glowing with the force of the heavens, a figure jumped out of the bushes and impaled the Kobold with a thin blade.

"Huh?" Rufus gaped as the Kobold fell in a withering heap at his feet.

"A thank you would be nice."

Standing before Rufus stood a petite young woman in a conservative light warrior costume and draped in an expensive cream-colored cloak with gold trim. Her blond hair seemed to glow silver in the sun and reached down just to her shoulders in a rather unkempt fashion.

Rufus' insides squirmed rather uncomfortably as he took in the woman's face. It was one that haunted his dreams and that beckoned to him every time he shut his eyes.

"ARE YOU HURT?" Rufus was jarred out of his delicious fantasy as the woman's voice penetrated its way through his left ear and out to the right.

"No! Quit yelling already!"

The girl took a step back from Rufus and started tutting as she walked around him, sizing him up. "hmm…tall enough…similar carriage…" her neck gave a little crick. "…same tuchus…"

"What the!?" Rufus yelped and clasped his hands to his rear. "Are you sure _you're_ not the one hurt?"

The girl straightened up. "Of course. You see, when a person answers to an inquiry, they are not only polite, but it also shows they are not afflicted."

Rufus shook his head._No way can this be Alicia! Where'd she get such sass?_ He blinked as the woman thrust her hand at him.

"I'm Alicia."

"Huh!?" Rufus nearly lost his act of bravado, but then he stopped to look at Alicia. The wonderful solution the gods presented, reincarnation, seemed to have brought her back to him and there was nothing he wanted to do more than scoop her in his arms and tell her everything and nothing, but then he remembered something.

As much as he loved Alicia, he loved her happiness more. When the Valkyrie dissipated into the four spirits, Rufus promised himself that he would do whatever necessary to make sure Alicia had the best life throughout eternity. Even if it meant giving her up to the rest of Midgard.

Sometimes Rufus wondered if he loved Alicia too much.

"I'm Rufus," he replied and shook her hand. He could see something moving behind Alicia's eyes, but it passed quickly as he set himself on the ground.

"So, what's a pretty girl like you doing in a muggy place like this," Rufus sat down on the ground and patted the moss next to him.

Smiling warmly, Alicia sat down next to him. "I am searching for several people."

"Really?" Rufus' eyebrows rose. "Several? It's usually just one and it's a long-lost family member or love of your life. So which is it?"

Alicia's lower lip jutted out in such a familiar expression Rufus had to bite his tongue to keep himself from doing something embarrassing. "That's rather rude, you know!"

"Well, I do try. These things take practice, you know. Bitterness and jaded cynicism just don't pop up over-night."

"Hmph," Alicia quit pouting as she noticed the beautiful jewel glittering on Rufus' waving hand. "Is that from your girlfriend? Are you married?"

Rufus jumped up at Alicia's gentle inquiry. "Uh, well, uhm, not really…" As Alicia continued gazing at him his face got hot and he sat down once more. "I guess you could say I'm married in my heart…"

"That's sweet," Alicia leaned in closer to Rufus to inspect the ring. "May I?"

"Sure."

As Alicia held the ring in her hand, Rufus' mind was reeling. The fact that Alicia was here made him confused but the fact that she was different was a little harder for his mind to wrap around. This was the way Alicia was meant to be, he thought. Strong, courageous and beautiful. _Well, not that she wasn't before, but this time she is free of worries and can now sleep at night…_

"Look at how it glows in the sun! It's like it's on fire," Alicia's breath was taken away by the stunning beauty of the ring. A frown appeared momentarily as she slipped it on her finger. _Way too big_. She handed it back to Rufus. "It must be because of all the love inside it."

Rufus cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"I think that things, like people, become more beautiful over time when the love spreads in them. Did the girl you love ever wear this?" Rufus gave a stiff nod. "She obviously must have loved you as much as you do her because the ring gives off this glow that's different from other jewels. Do you know what I mean?"

Rufus swallowed the lump in his throat as Alicia laughed awkwardly. "I'm sorry, that was rather inappropriate of me. I do that a lot."

"That's alright; at least you can be honest."

At that Alicia raised an eyebrow. "It's strange, but I feel as if I can talk to you about anything."

Rufus grinned. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Here goes then!" Alicia stood up with such fervor Rufus fell over in surprise. "I know you! Well, that is to say, I know _of _you. You see, for the past 15 years I've been having these dreams of people I've never met before, places that I have now visited that have a sense of nostalgia over them…"

"Lemme guess," Rufus interrupted, "I'm one of those people." He sighed. _I can't believe their memories are returning to them! At this rate they'll never be free from their memories and the Valkyries will return to Valhalla and…_

"One of them that showed up the most often," Alicia corrected and smacked his shoulder. "I'm trying to tell you something, don't be rude."

"Ow! Yes, I'm listening, look at my intent gaze!" Rufus sat straight as an arrow and stared at Alicia.

Chuckling, Alicia went on. "The other is a woman in armor with golden hair. What, you know her?" At the mention of Silmeria, Rufus' demeanor declined. How could he not have guessed that Alicia would search far and wide for Silmeria in any lifetime and he would always be second?

"Well, you look the same as you did in my dreams, but I know you're an elf," Alicia stated and then waved Rufus' protests down. "I saw it in my dreams, so it must be true."

"Gee, are you some sort of clairvoyant now?"

"No, I'm seeing the past not the future."

Rufus shook his head. Now Alicia was starting to sound like Silmeria and frankly it gave him the creeps. "Yes, I knew her when she was alive."

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Alicia reassured.

"Thanks."

Alicia pursed her lips and shuffled her feet slightly. _Finally_, Rufus thought,_ a part of Alicia that I understand! _"What's wrong?"

"I saw her the most often, but…I could never hear her. I was never really able to see a clear outline of her even. Not even when others said her name could I…Do…do you know her name?"

Looking upon Alicia once more with that open yearning written on her face, Rufus felt his heart sink once more. _Did she not remember anything about us?_ Mentally reprimanding himself for his selfishness, Rufus nodded. "Her name was Silmeria."

"Silmeria…Silmeria……Silmeria…" Alicia repeated over and over under her breath, loving that name and how it sounded, how it felt. Rufus turned and watched the trees and wildlife, once again feeling that this was a part of the bond he was excluded from. He wondered what it would be like to never be able to see or hear Alicia again no matter his desire to and once more he felt shamed by his thoughts compared to what Alicia had to go through once more.

After several minutes Alicia touched his shoulder. "Thank you so much, Rufus. I'm sorry if I hurt you," she added upon seeing his expression.

"No, no, it's nothing. Please continue."

Alicia nodded. "I wanted to find her and you again, but I didn't know where to look, so I went to a childhood friend in my village. He is a very skilled mage and used his magic to show me what Silmeria and you looked like now and I saw you as you are and Silmeria as she is now. Lezard said that you were the catalyst to my fate…what?"

At the mention of Lezard's name Rufus leapt up and shook Alicia's shoulders. "What are you doing with Lezard!? He's a mad-man and he's out to get Lenneth!"

"Lenneth…she was Silmeria's sister as well as Hrist, right?" Looking to Rufus for affirmation, Alicia went on. "We saw Lenneth in the cauldron Lezard used to show the future, but, like Silmeria, she seemed different. Lezard and I went searching for the three of you, but we got separated about a year ago and I met Fortuna, the reincarnation of Silmeria."

"We've got to find him right away, okay?"

"Wait, Rufus. You don't know Lezard. He's been very kind to me. I could be just like him, you know." Smirking slightly at Rufus' grimace, Alicia continued. "What I mean is that we both are searching for people important to us. I don't know how or why but you and Silmeria are very important to my heart. And since Lenneth is Silmeria's sister, I want to find her and Hrist as well since they must have meant a lot to her."

His head dropping to bump his chest, Rufus mumbled something that Alicia decided to interpret as some form of consent. "Oh, Rufus, I have something for you!"

"A present? For me?"

Alicia waved her hand distractedly as she rummaged through her handy sack. "Aha!"

Rufus' eyebrows shot up as Alicia held a circular object in front of him. In the middle was a large circle with various beads and feathers dangling from it, a pattern that was mimicked in the smaller circles that hung on either side and below it. "It's beautiful…what is it?"

"It's a dream catcher. So you won't be afraid to close your eyes at night anymore."

If there was ever any doubt that this was the soul of Alicia, it was all washed away by that statement. The familiar void in his heart filled once more as he looked at the woman in front of him. He gingerly took the object from her.

Alicia cleared her throat as she felt her face flush from the way Rufus looked at her. "I know Odin's gone now, but I thought, maybe…"_Oh! Stupid!_ Alicia mentally harassed herself as she mumbled gibberish. She could almost hear Fortuna's crowing laughter in her head.

"Let's just say there are other reasons I'm afraid to close my eyes," Rufus added and looked away from Alicia.

At a loss for words, Alicia could only wonder what that emptiness in Rufus' eyes were when he turned back to her. "If you know me, then you certainly know I'm up for an adventure! I may be the ruler of Asgard now, but Freya loves being in charge all the way, so I don't mind tagging along with you!"

Alicia crossed her arms. "What's your dream?"

"Huh? My dream?"

"I want to know."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It can be a goal. Don't worry, I won't laugh."

"That's not—I—"

"Will you promise me something?"

Rufus scratched his head. "Uh, sure?"

"I think it's the duty of the gods to make the world a place where dreams are possible. Will you help me make my dream come true?"

Jumping over the catch in his throat, Rufus gave a nod. "Of course. What is it?"

Alicia stuck her tongue out. "Too bad. You didn't tell me yours, so it wouldn't be fair. Now, let's go find Lezard and Fortuna!"

Rufus felt his shoulders droop as Alicia turned on her heel and headed for the exit of the forest. _Whipped once again._

"Are you coming?" Alicia barked with an air of impatience that sent chills down Rufus' spine. Perhaps joining with the Valkyries had some sort of effect on Alicia because it was almost as if Hrist were just commanding him around.

"Yeah, yeah, where are we off to?"

Smiling up at him Alicia pointed to the exit. "Crell Monferaigne."


	6. Memories of Old

Echoes of the Eternal Recurrence

By: Mena

"Memories of Old"

First off, I must apologize for the previous chapter of suck!! I rushed and it suffered and I apologize for my lapse of sanity! I fixed it this weekend, so hopefully it will be better! So, if you read it before uh, November 5th, please go back and check it out!

On a similar note, sorry for the short chapter, I have a lot of stuff to pound out at school, and I'm going to be trying harder to make my writing better. My job is to satisfy all y'awl, so…:)

* * *

_Sometimes I lie awake at night, afraid of my dreams, what lies in store._

_Isn't strange how often you forget the things that are important to you?_

_Who would you want to be with at the end of the world?_

_Don't worry for the future._

* * *

The path from the Forest of Spirits to Crell Monferaigne was one of the most peaceful paths in the entirety of Midgard. A wonderful place for a stroll or a confidence boost for some nooblet adventurers.

In other words, boring.

Rufus stretched his arms and yawned obnoxiously. Alicia giggled as she poked him in the side.

"What was that for!" Rufus demanded, dramatically clutching his side.

"You must be really old if you get tired at dusk," Alicia snickered.

Rufus merely squinted at Alicia and quickened his pace. They had left the Forest of Spirits hours ago and were just about to enter the city of Crell Monferaigne.

"Well, you know me, eat-sleep, eat-sleep. You got on my case then, too."

Alicia stopped. "Then?"

Rufus turned to face her. "Yeah, you know…?"

Alicia continued to give him a blank stare. _Don't tell me she doesn't know that it was her all the time? If she doesn't remember, maybe it's for the best that I don't tell her…_

"Rufus?"

"Nothing, never mind, it's nothing," Rufus laughed in a high-pitched tone and walked around Alicia to push her into the city.

Naturally, Alicia began to protest, but thought better of it. Obviously Rufus was covering something up, but she would get to the bottom of it eventually.

"We need to make some Oth."

"Huh?"

"I don't think I have enough money to pay for dinner and two rooms," Alicia said as she pulled out her money and counted it.

"What? Two rooms?" Rufus scratched his head.

Alicia flushed deeply and punched Rufus in the arm. She turned with a huff and tromped to the city gates.

"What'd I say?"

* * *

Alicia gasped as she entered Crell Monferaigne. Her first thoughts were of Solde, a city fashioned after this one, but lacking in the overall elegance. The buildings seemed to stretch to meet the clouds themselves, the exteriors of them shouting of their superior craftsmanship. The entire city seemed to glow like a beautiful jewel.

Rufus cantered up to her side. "Impressive, huh?"

Alicia graced him with a dubious look.

"I meant, we could take turns in the room! I wasn't up to anything—honest!" Alicia humphed and started walking deeper into the city.

"Where are we going?"

"The tavern—I'm hungry!" Alicia dropped her aloof act and clutched her stomach which gave an envious grumble as a passerby chewed an apple.

"Oh, it's this way!" Rufus declared and took Alicia's hand, taking them to the tavern.

Alicia felt faint as they opened the door to the tavern and the wonderful smells of cooked meat and steamed vegetables wafted in to her nostrils.

"Hey, there, special night, eh?"

Alicia turned to see an over-weight man with a scruffy stubble around his face leaning over the bar. She looked to Rufus and noticed their hands were still clasped firmly. She and Rufus both coughed as they released their fingers and headed over to the man.

"Uhm, actually we're looking for some people. Do you happen to know a Lezard?"

The man shook his head.

"Arngrim?"

Rufus jerked his head to Alicia in surprise, but she seemed not to notice as the man shook his head once more.

"Fortuna?"

"Ah!" The man set down the rag he was wiping a glass with. "You must be her sister—I should've guessed, you're a real looker, too." Alicia's eye twitched and Rufus hid a laugh behind his hand. "Naw, she's not here now, but Leone's over there." He jerked his head over to a secluded part in the back of the tavern.

"Thank you!" Alicia bowed and yanked on Rufus' sleeve to drag him over to the table pointed out to them.

As they neared the table, Alicia got a good look at the woman sitting there. Alicia guessed Leone was taller than her—after all, Alicia was such a midget, as Fortuna daintily pointed out—and her raven hair reached about half-way down to her neck. Her eyes were closed in apparent pleasure as she glugged down a mug of beer.

Rufus felt his body shudder as he noticed that Leone was decked in out in a suit of dark purple armor. As they neared the table, he noticed there was a black helmet sitting near her legs, like some loyal pet. Just what he always wanted—Hrist Valkyrie, round two.

"Are you Fortuna's sister, Leone?" Alicia asked.

The woman opened an eye, the glass pressed to her lips. "Aye," she said as she set it down. Alicia felt herself riveted into place by Leone's eyes. A strange sense of familiarity flooded through her as Leone looked at her and motioned to the seats.

"I'm Alicia," she stammered as she pulled out a chair and sat next to Leone. Rufus took a seat next to Alicia.

"I'm Rufus."

"Hrm. So you know my sister?" Leone swiftly ignored Rufus and turned to Alicia.

"Yes, we met about a year ago. I've been hoping to run into her again—I want her to meet Rufus," she smiled as she indicated Rufus with a glance.

Leone smirked. "A marriage, huh?"

Alicia and Rufus seemed to choke on their breath. Leone merely took another gulp of booze.

"I guess not. I suppose my sister told you about me. She's really no different from me—amazing, talented, gorgeous, the list goes on."

She was no different from Hrist; arrogant, snide and chock full of confidence. In a way that frightened him, Rufus found it endearing, especially when she spoke of her sister.

"Do you always take on a catatonic state when a person speaks to you?"

Leone's curt comment cut through Rufus' daze. Fire flashed in his eyes. "Of course not! Is it a crime to think?"

Leone smirked. "I didn't realize it took such an effort to pay attention. Are you diseased?"

Rufus felt his face redden as Alicia burst into peals of laughter and Leone chugged down a large portion of her beer._ I guess some parts of people will never change. Ever._ "Of course not," he snapped defensively.

Rolling her eyes, Leone beckoned the server for a refill. Alicia was calming down and turned to Leone once more. "Your sister, Fortuna, where is she now?"

"Well, we recently were commissioned to take care of a large troll that has been plaguing the outskirts of town. Technically, the farmers all chipped in for our reward, since the city doesn't care a whit about what happens outside of their border," she darkly added.

Alicia and Rufus were silent until the shadow lifted from Leone's face. "Fortuna went to scope out the surrounding area. I am to join her at Dragon's Crypt tomorrow."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Alicia interjected.

Leone raised an eyebrow. "You met my sister; you must have seen some sort of display of her skills in battle. I have confidence in her."

Rufus chortled. "I'd have thought you were the type to do all the dangerous stuff yourself."

"Fortuna is well-suited for any task," Leone slammed her palm on the table. "Do not mistake my intentions—I care for her greatly, and that is precisely the reason why I have faith in her."

Alicia stared as Leone's cheeks flushed and Rufus pursed his lips. _You can hide your feelings, but not your intentions. _How similar Leone and Fortuna were in that sense. Startled by that unbidden thought, Alicia attempted to placate the two. "Please, Rufus didn't mean to imply any sort of thing…"

"Yes, I suppose that is just a result of his socially awkward condition."

Rufus growled. "As if you're some sort of stranger to being emotionally inept!"

Alicia giggled as Rufus swiveled to meet her gaze. "I know I shouldn't be laughing. It's just that you two argue as if you're the best of friends."

Leone let out a non-committal grunt and Rufus folded his arms. "Whatever."

Turning to Alicia, Leone stroked her chin. "I believe I remember my sister mentioning you. You do seem to have the spark of a warrior in your eyes, among other things," she leered as Alicia turned pink. Glancing Rufus over she shook her head. "However, with that build…you seem woefully inept at combat."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Relax. I merely jest at your misfortune."

Alicia roared with laughter once more as Rufus got insulted again. He growled in vexation. _If only I could tell her that I'm the ruler of Asgard and whip out my godly powers! But, then again, _he sighed,_ she'd probably dismiss it all as an obvious class disadvantage and say that'd she be better than me on even grounds._

"Would you care to accompany me?"

Rufus looked up and Alicia took a few deep breaths. "You mean on your expedition to slay the troll?"

"Of course," Leone said. "You wish to see my sister, do you not? I am sure she will be pleased to see you as well." She nodded to Alicia. "I believe that the two of you can handle yourselves well."

"I knew all that was talk," Rufus puffed out his chest.

Scowling, Leone shook her head. "I merely saw that you have an extremely good bow. Only a person with some sort of _talent _could afford it, yet alone wield one. Anyway," she pushed her chair back noisily, drowning out Rufus' remarks, "we can sleep in one of the farms on the outside of town. Shall we?"

Alicia rose immediately. "Yes! Is there anything else we can do to help prepare for tomorrow?"

Leone smiled gently. "That is quite alright. I've gotten all the information I need."

"Information?" Rufus echoed as the trio exited the bar and were met with the crisp air of the night.

"Yes," Leone repeated, exasperated. "Do you have trouble comprehending words?"

Rufus leapt in front of Leone. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't assault me at every turn, thank you!"

Leone's eyes widened. "That is just my humble way of showing my affection. If you would care for my hatred, I would be more than happy to oblige."

"Why aren't you like this to Alicia, then?" Rufus demanded.

"Simple," Leone stated. "I express my affection differently for different people. Please try to think for yourself in the future."

"Aren't you glad that you two became friends so quickly?" Alicia asked as she laid a hand on Rufus' arm.

"Hmph."

Leone placed her hands on her hips. "I won't take any of your cheek."

"My cheek!?"

"I suppose I shouldn't talk about your body like that, Alicia will get jealous," Leone flipped her hair and strode off for the city gates, leaving a flustered Alicia and Rufus behind.

"I—"

"She—I don't—"

"Well, maybe this is a little forward, but do you have a…" Rufus shuffled his feet.

"Oh, no! She's going to leave us behind!" Alicia yelped and started racing after Leone.

Sighing once more, Rufus picked his feet up and started after Alicia when he was jolted in the right side. Turning, he saw a tiny girl, face covered in soot and baggy clothes sneering at him. For some terrible reason, Rufus thought she looked like Freya.

As if she would condescend to come here.

"Are you al-ow!" Rufus cried out in pain as Leone roughly pinched his arm. He grabbed her hands in an effort to prevent any further attacks.

"Alicia wouldn't appreciate your advances on other women."

"I wasn't—she—"

Leone clucked as Rufus waved emphatically at the shadows. "There is no one there. Having delusions will undoubtedly place a strain on your special relationship with Alicia."

Rufus gulped as Leone thrust her face at him, noses inches apart. "Am I making myself clear?"

Rufus was familiar with Hrist's methods of coercion. He could already feel himself unconsciously preparing to get duped once more. Whatever Leone had in mind for him and Alicia was being reflected in her eyes, the dim light of the streets casting a shadow over them, effectively placing a barrier to her mind.

_Damn her_.

"Hurry, you two! I'm tired!"

Alicia's pouts reverberated through the streets and Leone and Rufus cringed at the ringing clarity of it. Leone grabbed Rufus' collar and tug him over to Alicia.

"You know, Alicia, I'll have to take you shopping for a leash sometime," Leone stated as she flung Rufus at Alicia.

Alicia's reply was muffled by the folds of Rufus' fabric.


End file.
